Sinapis. tetradynamia siliquosa. 119 



contracted at the middle, with enlarged, cordate, stem-clasp- 

 ing base, all are perfectly smooth on both sides ^^"'^ glaucous, 

 varying in size from one inch to a i'oot. Racemes terminal. 

 Pedicels sub-erect, round, smooth, slender, nearly as long as 

 the full-grown siliques. Flowers numerous, of a bright yel- 

 low. Petals obovate, bright yellow. Stamens, the four near- 

 ly twice as long as the claws of the petals. Siliques long-pe- 

 dicelled, flattened transversely, smooth, expanding. Beak 

 smooth, almost as long as the silique and flattened with a 

 roundish, thick apex. Seed numerous, smooth and white, 

 like those of Sinapis alba. 



The entire seed is used for various economical purposes, an 

 oil is also expressed from it, which is much used in the diet of 

 the Hindoos. 



3. S. ramosa. R. 



Annual, erect, ramous. Siliques expanding linear, verti- 

 cally compressed, smooth. Leaves petioled, the lower ones 

 lyrate ; the superior ones sub-lanceolate. 



Beng. Rayee. 



A native of Bengal, where it is cultivated during- the cold 

 season. The seed-time being in October, and the harvest in 

 February. The seed and the oil yielded by expression, are 

 useful ingredients in the diet of the Hindoos. 



Root annual. Stem erect, very ramous ; branches expand- 

 ing a little, all perfectly smooth, except now and then near 

 the base of the plants, a few soft, white bristles are present; 

 height of the whole plant in a good soil from four to five feet. 

 Leaves petioled, the lotver ones lyrate, in some plants some- 

 what scabrous, with margins variously serrate-dentate, and 

 often somewhat lobate, towards the top of the plants they are 

 less compound, till at last they are simply lanceolate and 

 smooth, varying in size from an inch to a foot hi length. Pe- 

 tioles of the lower, or large leaves, round, slightly channelled, 

 and sometimes armed like the bottom of the stem, and large 

 branches, with soft white bristles. Racemes terminal ; pe- 



