T h l a s p i A r v e n s e . P e n n y - C r e s s .
THLASPI Lin. Gen. PI. T e t r a d y n a m ia Sil ic u lo s a .
Silicula emarginata, obcordata, polyfperma, valvulis navicularibus, mar-
ginato-carinatis.
Raii Syn. Gen. 21. H e r b .« T e t r a p e t a l e Sil iq u o s e e t Sil ic u l o s e .
THLASPI arvenfe filiculis orbiculatis, foliis oblongis dentatis glabris. Lin. Syfi. Veget. ed. 14. p . 587.
Spec. PL. 901. FI. Suec. 574.
NASTURTIUM filiquis orbiculatis, planis, foliis oblongis, dentatis, glabris. Hall. Hiß. 511.
THLASPI arvenfe. Scop. FI. Cam. n. 810.
THLASPI arvenfe filiquis latis. Bauh. p. 105.
THLASPI Diofcoridis. Ger. emac. 262. Drabs folio. Park. 836. Raii Syn. 305. Treacle-Muftard.
Penny-Crefs. H uff. F l. Angl. 281. Lightfoot FI. Scot. 340.
RADIX annua, fufiformis, fubramofa, lignofa, al-
bida.
CAULIS pedalis et ultra, ere&us, multangulus, tere-
tiufculus, fuperne ramofus, ramis paucis,
caule brevioribus, ereftis, fubarcuatis.
FOLIA alterna, oblonga, obtufiufcula, remote den-
- tata, dentibus apice älbidis, bafi fagittata,
fupra viridia, fubtus glaucefcentia.
FLORES racemofi, parvi.
PEDUNCULI alterni, fere horizontales, uniflori.
CALYX: Pe r ia n t h iu m tetraphyllum ; foliolis
ovatis, concavis, acutiufculis, margine alba,
membranacea, fig. 1.
COROLLA: Pet a l a 4, calyce duplo longiora, re-
tufa, alba, fig. 2. a u c l.^ . 3.
STAMINA: F il a m e n t a fex, fubulata, albida, duo
breviora, A n t h e r e flavae, miriutae, fig. 4.
auft. fig. 6.
PISTILLUM : G e rm e n rotundatum ; St y l u s bre-
viflimus; St ig m a obtufum,^. 5. auft.^g-. 7.
PERICARPIUM : Silicula pedunculi longitudine,
latiffima, orbicularis, profunde emarginata,
medio utrinque convexiufcula, ad latera
alata, comprelfa, bilocularis, fig. 8, 10.
SEMINA utrinque 4 ad o, fub-comprelfa, fuborbicu-
laria, parallelelineata, glabra, rufa, fig. 12. '
DISSEPIMENTUM lanceolatum, acutum, fig. 11.
VALVUL.dE naviculares, fig. 9.
► ROOT annual, tapering, fomewhatbranched, woody,
and whitilh.
► STA LK a foot or more in height, upright, multangular,
roundilh, above branched, the brancnes
few, Ihorter than the ftalk, upright, bending
a little inwards.
| LEAVES alternate, oblong, a little blunt, diftantly
toothed, the teeth whitilh at the tip ; arrow-
fhaped at the bafe, above green, beneath
| fomewhat glaucous.
FLOWERS fmall, growing in racemi.
; FLOWER-STALKS alternate, nearly horizontal,
! one-flower’d.
► CALYX : a Perianthium of four leaves, the leaves
I ovate, concave, fomewhat pointed, the edge
■ white, and membranous, fig. 1.
t COROLLA : 4 Petals, twice the length of the calyx,
very flightly notched at the end, and
white, fig. 2. magnified, fig. 3.
; STAMINA: Six F il a m e n t s , tapering, whitilh, two
Ihorter than the reft ; A n t h e r e yellow and
minute ; fig. 4. magn. fig. 6.
PISTILLUM : Ge rm e n rounded ; St y l e very
Ihort; St ig m a obtufe, fig. 5. magn .fig . 7.
SEED-VESSEL : a Silicule tne length o f the
flower-ftalk, very broad, orbicular, deeply
notched, a little convex in the middle on
each fide, the fides winged and flat, bilocular,
fig. 8, 10.
SEEDS in each cell from 4 to 9, fomewhat flattened,
and orbicular, marked with parallel lines,
fmooth, of a reddilh brown colour, fig. 12.
PARTITION lanceolate, pointed, &>•. 11.
VALVES boat-fhaped, fig. 9.
The Thlffpi arvenfe is fcarcely entitled to a place in the Flora Londinenfis, as we have only feen a few accidental
plants of it growing near the Spaniards, Hampjlead-Heath.
R ay informs us, that It is found in the fields about Wormingford in EJJex plentifully, as alfo at St.OJytk
m Tendring Hundred, at Stone in Staffordshire, and Saxmundham in Suffolk ; to thefe habitats we may add,
on the authority of Dr. G oodenouGh, Broughton Pogges in Oxfordshire, in the corn fields near whicn it is
found in abundance.
It flowers the beginning o f June, and the feeds are ripe by the end of the month; hence they are not liable
to mix and be ground with our corn, to the flower of which they might communicate the tafte of garlic, which
the plant is faid to give to the milk of fuch cattle as feed on it.
It is obvioufly diftinguifhed, as R ay has obferved, from all our plants o f the fame genus, by its fmoothnefs,
h T gC ^at rounc* Pods, whence it has very properly been called Penny-crefs: H aller judicioufly obferves,
mat the true feed-veflel is in the centre, and that it owes its extraordinary breadth to winged appendages, which
I ournefort has admirably well expreffed.
The feeds are faid to produce twice as much oil as linfeed.
m 1 1 1 ^P®c^es and the Thlafpi Campefire are ufed indifcriminately in medicine; the feeds, more efpecially thofe
■ o the prefent plant, have an acrid biting tafte, approaching to that of the common muftard, with which they
§ ^gr^e nearly in their pharmaceutical properties, their pungent matter being totally extra&ed by water, only
■ par ially by reftified fpirit, and being elevated by water in diftillation. They have joined to their acrimony
■ w UnP^>eafant flavour, fomewhat of the garlic or onion kind, and this they give out to fpirituous as well as
■ the ? ! men™’ua » theY are rarely made ufe of any otherwife than as ingredients in the compofitions whofe names
B M V ^arjj ou£k f°me recommend them in different difeafes preferably to the common muftard. Lewis