SISYMBRIUM L in. Gen. PI. T etradynamia Siliquosa.
Silicula dehifcens valvulis re6liufculis. Cal. patens. Cor. patens.
R aii Syn. Gen. 21. Herb.<£ tetrapetaljE siliquos^e et siliculos^e.
1 SISYMBRIUM Naßurtium filiquisdeclinatis, foliis pinnatis, foliolis fubcordatis. Lin. Syfi. Vegäab.
p . 594. Sp. PL 916. PL Suec. n. 592. '
SISYMBRIUM foliis pinnatis, pinnis fubrotundis, brevibus racemis. Haller hiß. 482.
SISYMBRIUM Naßurtium. Scopoli FI Cam. n. 821.
NASTURTIUM aquaticum fupinuin. Bank. Pin. 104.
SISYMBRIUM Cardarnine, feu Nafturtium aquaticum. I. B. II. 884.
NASTURTIUM aquaticum vulgare. Park. 1329.
NASTURTIUM aquaticum feu Cratevas Hum. Ger. emac. 257. R aiiS yn .p . 300. Water-Crefles.
Hudfon F l. Angl. ed. 2. p. 296. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 350.
NASTURTIUM aquaticum foliis minoribus praecocius. Early flowering Water-Crefles with fmaller
leaves. Raii Syn, 301.
NASTURTIUM aquaticum pinnulis paucioribus. Raii Syn. p. 301.
[RADIX annua, fibrofiflima, fibris albidis. $ ROOT annual, extremely fibrous, fibres whitilh.
KAULES plures, ad bafin plerumque repentes, fub- J STALK S numerous, ufually creeping at the bafe,
erefti, pedales, bipedales et ultra, purpuraf- 4 nearly upright, a foot, two feet, or more, in
centes, angulofi, lulcati, ramofi, glabri, fif- height, purplilh, angular, grooved, branched,
tulofi. _ $ fmooth, and hollow.
[FOLIA caulina pinnata, femi-amplexicaulia, glabra, J LEAVES o f the ftalk pinnated, half embracing the
pinnis trium feu quatuor parium, oppofitis, | ftalk, fmooth, the pinnae or leaflets confiftovatis,
obtufis, fubemarginatis, obtufe den- $ ing o f three or four pair, oppofite, ovate,
tatis, feflilibus, externa rotundiore ad apicem % obtufe, with a flight indentation at the end,
faepe attenuate; axillis radices agentibus ; 4 bluntly toothed, feflile, the end leaflet rounder
radicalia omnia rotundiora. 4 than the others, often running out to a point,
4 the alse o f the leaves putting forth roots, and'
? all the radical leaves roundilh.
[FLORES parvi, albi, numerofi, racemofi, racemis J FLOWERS fmall, white, numerous, growing in ra-
I ere&is. _ 4 cemi which are upright.
[PEDUNCULI primo ere&i, demum patentes, fubde- f FLOWER-STALKS at firft upright, finally fpread-
clinati, filiquis breviores. . 4 ing or a little depending, Ihorter .than the
■ CALYX: Perianthium 4-phyllum, foliolis ob- |
longis, concavis, obtufis, ere&is, flavefcenti- 4
bus, .fig . 1.
■ COROLLA : Petala 4, fubrotunda, alba, demum $
purpurafcentia, Jig. 2. ' 4
KTAMINA: Filament a 6, quorum duo breviora, f
primo ex albido virefcentia,demum purpurea; 4
I A ntheræ flavae,^. 3.
BPISTILLUM: G ermen teres, virefcens, tandem pur- %
pureum ; Stylus breviflimus, vix ullus ; f
■ Stigma capitatum, jpg. 4.
IpILIÔUÆ unciales, furfum fubcurvatæ, patentes, fub- 4
declinatæ feminibus protuberantibus turgidæ. f
C A L YX : a Perianthium o f four leaves, which are
oblong, concave, obtufe, upright, and yel-
lowifli, fig: 1.
CO ROL LA : 4 Petals, roundilh, white, finally of
a purplilh hue, fig . 2.
STAMINA : 6 Filaments, of which two are Ihorter
than the reft, at firft of a greenilh white co-'
lour, laftly purple ; A nther>e ytWov/, fig . 3.
PISTILLUM: G ermen round, greenilh, finally
purple; S tyle very Ihort, fcarce any;
Stigma forming a little head, fig . 4.
SEED-PODS, about an inch in length, bent a little
upwards, fpreading, flightly depending,'turgid
with feeds which protuberate.
B people are acquainted with the leaves of the Water-crefs, few comparatively with the plant in flower ;
■ 0 render their knowledge of it complete, we have reprefented it in both ftates.
I } Is a P^a?* common not only to Europe but America, grows fpontaneoufly in rivulets and watery ditches,
■ and flowers in June, July, and Auguft. 7
■ if ? VafKs ” s aPpearance from feveral caufes ; the leaves, if growing in the fhade, are of a green colour,
BbeP^° 6 f ? 1 u/Un> PurPbfh brown; they rarely vary in their fhape, yet we have feen inftances o f their
■ L j conllderably elongated by growing in a ftream where the current has been rapid; the alteration produced
BbnfTVl• eavf s ° f many other plants from the. fame caufe, is well known to Botanifts: in this ftate there is a
■ whiiv, r n 1 ■ *eavf s> by miftake, may be eaten for thofe o f the creeping Water-parfnep (Sium nodiflorum)
■ no i nU ua y,Srows with it; if by accident they fliould, no great danger is to be apprehended, as there are
■ thofe a^ces °b record of that plant’s being poifonous; to avoid, however, any alarm from fuch a circumftance,
■ that 7 k ln, Pra^ice of eating Water-crefles, Ihould obferve, that the leaves are nearly round, and
■ on t.v, CV ave , e crefs-like tafte, the leaves of the Water-parfnep are. not only long and pointed, but fa wed
S ' e edges, they are alfo of a much paler colour, arid have a very different tafte.
B mendons two other fpecies o f Water-crefs, which can only be confidered as mere local varieties.
" This