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P E N T A N D R I A Monogynia.
Gen. Char. Cor. bell-fliaped, clofed at the bottom
by valves bearing the ftamina. Stigma 3-cleft.
Capfule inferior, opening by lateral pores.
Spec. Char. Leaves undulated; the radical ones
lanceolate inclining to oval. Panicle compadt.
S yn. Campanula Rapunculus. Linn. Sp. PI. 232.
HudJ. FI. An. 95. With. Bot. Arr, 217.
Rapunculus efculentus. Rail Syn. 2,77.
A N A T I V E of banks and borders of fields in fome parts
of England, more particularly Surrey and Kent. It is an old
kitchen-garden vegetable, the root having been formerly eaten
either raw in fallads or boiled. When recent it is the fize and
lhape of a radilh, but white, milky, fweetifh with fome pungency
and bitternefs. It is now out of ufe.
Root biennial. Stem ereft, angular, rough (efpecially on the
angles) with deflexed white hairs, the upper part being lefs
rough, panicled and fometimes branched. Leaves roughifh, undulated
and toothed ; the low'd! fomewhat elliptical, the others
lanceolate ; the floral leaves very narrow. Panicle compaft, upright,
its fide branches bearing from one to three or more flowers.
Germen in our fpecimens fmooth, in thofe of Linnaeus hairy, the
hairs often inflated and becoming globular; teeth of the calyx
very long and taper, generally entire, but fometimes bearing
one fmall tooth on each fide near the bafe, though they are by
no means fo denticulated as in C. patula (tab. 42), neither is
the corolla taper at the bafe, as in that fpecies, but inflated.
The flowers appear in July and Auguft.