M i [ 8 0 ]
C A R D A M I N E impatiens.
Impatient Ladies-fmock.
T E T R A D T N A M I A Sillquo/a.
Gen. Char. Pod burfting elaftically, the valves "turning
back. Stigma entire. Cal. a little fpreading.
One Gland on each fide, between the fihorter ftamina
and the calyx.
Spec. Char. Leaves pinnated ; leaflets lanceolate,
moftly eût. Stipulæ ciliated.
S y n . Cardamine impatiens. Linn. Sp. PI. 914. HudJ.
FI. An. 294. With. Bot. Arr. 685. vulgo Sium
minus impatiens. Rail Syn. 299.
S e N T b y D r . Sm ith from M a t lo c k J u ly 4th, 179 2 . I t w a s
ga th ered b y the river fide under a h igh perpendicular ro ck immedia
te ly b e low S axton’ s ba th. T h is is a rare plant in moft
p la ce s, th ou gh not fo in W e ftm o re la n d and Cumberland.
R o o t annual. 'H e r b about tw e lv e or eighteen inches high,
e re£t,pale and tend er in appearance, w ith alrnoft invifible flowers,
and chiefly remarkable fo r its numerous pods, w h ich difeharge
th e ir ripe feeds w ith g rea t force on the flighted: touch or motio
n . T h e Item is angula r and h o llow , more o r lefs z ig z a g .
L e a v e s fmoo th , paler beneath -, extended at the bafe into
tw o n a r row , a cu te , Angularly ciliated ftipulæ, b y w h ich the
fp ec ies is w e ll diftinguifhed from all others known. Linnæu s
a t firft deferibed the flowers as b e in g deftitute o f petals, bu t
a fte rw a rd s a cknow ledges h e found fome in a cultivated plant.
M r . H u d fon ju f tly obferves th at fome flowers are w ith o u t, and
th a t in thofe w h ich have them th e y are fca rcely long e r than
th e c a ly x , w h ite , and o f very fliort duration.
T h e tafte o f th is fpecies is p u ng ent, like the re ft o f its tr ibe,
b itte r ifh and unpleafant. W e do not kn ow o f its being applied
to any ufe.