y o [ 8 5 6 ]
RAPHANUS Raphaniftrum.
Wild Kadißiy or Jointed Charlock.
TETRADYNAMIA Siliquofa.
G en. Char. Cal. clofed. Nectariferous glands 4. Pod
cylindrical, fwelling out into knobs, feeming
jointed.
Spec. Char. Pods jointed, fmooth, o f one cell.
S yn. . Raphanus Raphaniftrum. Linn. Sp. PL 935.
Sm. FI. Brit. 723. Hudf. 289. With. 596.
Hull. 146. Relb. 232. Sibth. 203. Abbot. 147.
Curt. Land. fafc. 4. t. 46. Mart. Fl. Ruß. t. 71.
Raphaniftrum filiquä articulatä glabra, majore et
minore. Rati Syn. 29ft.
O n e of the moft troitblefome weeds in corn-fields, where
its pale yellow or whitifti flowers are confpicuous in June and
July.
Root annual, fpindle-lhaped. Stem branching, round,
glaucous, rough with prominent briftles, leafy. Leaves lyrate,
toothed, rough : the uppermoft fimple, oblong. Flowers larger
than in molt of our cruciform plants. Calyx flender, briftly
upwards. Petals lemon-coloured, ftreaked with veins which
become dark purple as the flower advances in age, and at
length very ftriking, as the lemon ground turns quite white.
The pods are erefit, tapering, beaked, fmooth, knobbed, or
feemingly jointed, as they ripen, and longitudinally furrowed
when dry. When very young they are divided into 2
longitudinal cells, but the partition is obliterated, and confounded
in one fpongy mafs, as they grow to maturity. Seeds
comprefled.
The Raphanus n. 3 of Rail Syn. ( FI. Brit, y), is a large
maritime biennial or perhaps perennial plant, which I had
not feen when the 2d vol. of FI. Brit, was printed. Mr. Mackay,
who has lately fent it from Scotland, is perfuaded of its being
a diftinfit fpecies. This merits further examination.
The idea of Linnaeus that the feeds of this plant caufed the
conVulfive difeafe named by him Raphania, fee Am, Acad. v. 6,
is not confirmed by experience.