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SISYMBRIUM Nafturtium.
Water Crefs.
iS.
TETR ADYNAMIA Siliquofd.
GrEtir. Chau. Pod cylindrical, burfling with ridarty
ftraight valves. Cal. and Cor. fpreading.
Spec. Char. Pods declining. Leaves pinnate:
leaflets roundifh beart-fhaped.
S y n . Sifymbrium Nafturtium: Linn. Sp. PI. 916.
Sm. FI. Brit. 700. liudf. 296. With. 580:
Hull. 150. Relh. 256. Sibth. 206. Abbot. 143.
Curt. Land. fa/c. 6. t. 44. Woodv. Med. Bot.
f. 48.
S. Cardamine, feu Nafturtium aquaticum: Rail
Sjn. 300.
' V E R Y abundant in clear fp rings, rivulets and ponds>
generally fupported on the furface b y its floa ting leaves, b u t
often rifing above i t , e fpecia lly w h en the flowers appear, in
Ju n e and J u ly .
T h e roots are perennial, Confiftirig o f lo n g w h ite fibres, th e
lowermofl: fixed in the foil, the reft fufpended in the w a te r.
S tem s fpreading, d e c lin in g or floa tingj angular, branched,
le a fy . L ea v e s alternate, pinnate, fomewhat lyra te (the termina l
and upper leaflets b e in g th e la rg e ft) ; a ll the leaflets roundifh,
more or lefs heart-fhaped, fmoo th , A lin ing , waved or toothed,
frequently tinged w ith a p u rplifh -b rown h u e . Flow ers w h ite ,
iq a Corymbus, foon leng thened ou t in to a fpike. Pods
flrortifh, Handing on h o rizonta l fruit-fta lk s, b u t the pods
themfelves are recurved upwards. S tigm a iiear ly fefiile.
T h e flavou r o f th e y o u n g leaves is pleafantly w a rm and
p u n g en t, fome th ing lik e that o f muftard, and agreeable to moft
people. N o B ritifh p la n t is fo generally ufed as a fallad. I ts
exprefled ju ic e , comb ined w ith thofe o f B ro o k lim e and S eu rv y -
grafs, forms a p o p u la r medic ine for p u r ify in g th e blo od , as w e
h a v e already mentioned, v o l. 10. p . 655*