SISYMBRIUM Sophia.
Flix-weed.
TETRJ D YNAMIA Siliquofa,
G en. Char. Pod cylindrical, burfting with nearly
ftraight valves. Cal. and Cor. fpreading.
Spec. Char. Leaves doubly pinnate, a little hairy.
Petals fmaller than the calyx.
Syn. Sifymbrmm Sophia. Linn. Sp. PI. 920. Sm. FI.
Brit. 704. Hud/. 297. With. 582. Hull. 150.
Relb. 258. Sibth. 208. Abbot. 143. Mart.
Ruß. t. 5 7 .
Eryfimum Sophia di&um. Ran Syn. 298.
F r e q u e n t about rubbifh, wafte ground, and dunghills,
flowering in July and later.
Root annual, fmall, tapering. Stem about 2 feet high,
ereft, branched, round, very leafy. Leaves alternate, fpreading,
doubly pinnate, or perhaps more properly pinnatifid, for
the principal and partial divifions are all confluent; the ultimate
fegments are lanceolate, acute, entire, more or lefs evidently
hairy; the terminal ones largeft. Flowers very fmall,
pale-yellow, the minute petals almofl hidden by the calyx,
which has nearly as much colour as themfelves. The corym-
bus foon grows out into a very long fpike of numerous flender
pods, which Hand erect on fpreading (talks. Seeds many,
fmall and reddifli.
Few plants have lefs pretenfions to beauty, though the
feathery fegments of the leaves are not devoid of fymmetry.
The old name Flix-weed arofe from the quality attributed
to this plant of curing immoderate laxity of the bowels.