ERYSIMUM praecox.
E a r ly W inter Crefs.
TETRAD YNAMIA Siliquo/a.
Gen. Char. Pod columnar, exadlly fquare. Cal.
clofed. Stigma capitate.
Spec. Char. Lower leaves lyrate ; upper ones pin-
natifid, their fegments linear-oblong and entire.
Syn. EryfimUm praecox. Sm. FI. Brit. 707.
E. Barbarea (2. Linn. Sp. P i. 922 ?
Barbarea foliis minoribus et frequentius finuatis.
D ill. in Rail Syn. 297.
Early Winter Crefs. Petiv. H. B rit. t. 46. ƒ. 2.
W E are obliged to the Rev. Dr. Beeke for wild fpecimens
of this plant, gathered on a hill half a mile north of Teign-
mouth, as well as near Dawlifh, Kingfteington, and Honiton,
Devonthire, the foil a red brick clay. It begins to flower in
May, and may be found till autumn.
The root appears to be perennial. Stem about 18 inches,
in moift fituations 2 feet, high, ereft, leafy, angular, fmooth,
a little branched, purplifh below. Radical leaves very numerous,
exactly like thofe of Sijymbrium Najiurtium, lyrate, their
ftalk a little hairy : ftem leaves oppofitely, deeply and regularly
pinnatifid, their lobes oblong, bluntifh, entire, fmooth and
fhining, the lowermoft rounded, clafping the ftem, fringed.
Flowers fmaller and paler than thofe of E. Barbarea, t. 443.
Pods nearly thrice as long as in that fpecies, exaftly fquare,
fmooth, crowned with a very thort permanent ftyle.
There can be no doubt of this being what Petiver intended
in the figure above quoted, and confequently what Dillenius
has introduced into Ray’s Synopjis. We doubt whether any
following botanift has been acquainted with it till now. It
is diftinCt enough from E . Barbarea. Dr. Beeke thinks it
alfo different from the Winter Crefs of the gardens called
American Crefs, but we are at a lofs for a fpecific difference
between them.