IS't M. De CandoUe on the Species and Varieties 



(White Navew), is sometimes mistaken for a Ruta-baga; the 

 other is the Chou-navet a collet rouge, piirpiirascens (Red 

 Navew). 



The Ruta-baga, Napo-Brassica Ruta-baga, also called ^orw^ 

 jatine, Navet de Suede, Chou de Laponie, and Chou de Suede *, 

 has a root more regularly round or oval, and is yellow both 

 on the out and the inside. It is natural to suppose that the 

 race of Chou-navets proceeds from the Colsa crossed by the 

 Brassica Rapa ; its characters are intermediate between the 

 two, and Mr. Sageret has found tiiat among the hybrid plants 

 he had obtained from the Colsa, many were swelled out at the 

 lower part of their stem. Care must be taken not to confound 

 the Chou-7iavet, united by a hyphen, with the Choti navet writ- 

 ten as two distinct words ; the former is the Brassica cam- 

 pestris Napo-brassica, Turnip-rooted Cabbage just mentioned ; 

 the latter, the Brassica Napus, the fourth species of Brassica, 

 the true Turnip, of which I shall speak hereafter. 



Third Species. BRASSICA RAPA^-, 



Rente on Navet. Turnip. 



Is said to be found in a wild state in various parts of Eu- 

 rope, but the facility with wliich its seeds can be transported 

 from the place where it is cultivated must leave its native ha- 

 bitat a matter of doubt. This species, first pointed out by 

 Lamarck in the Encijclupcdie BotaniqueX, and called Bras- 

 sica asperifolia, compi'ehended several varieties of the Brassica 

 campestris ; it was afterwards described by Poiret, in the same 

 work II, by the name oi Sinapis tuberosa, which, strictly speak- 

 m", is applicable to one only of its varieties ; for this reason, 

 as well as to follow the older name, I have thought proper to 

 preserve the name of Brassica Rapa, introduced by Linnaeus §. 

 This species is distinguished from the preceding by its foliage 

 not being glaucous but of a decided green, like the Radishes, 

 which are called in French Petites Raves ; secondly, by the 



* The Ruta-baga is well known in Great Britain, in field cultivation, as 

 the Swedish Turnip; though of modern introduction, it is extensively 

 grown. The true and pure sort has yellow flesh and is without a stem, but 

 it is apt to degenerate from both these important requisites to a good plant, 

 either by the flesh becoming white, or by the crown running up into a stem 

 of more or less lengt'.i. It is remarkable that the yellow fleshed Swedish 

 Turnip produces whitish flowers, whilst the white fleshed bears dark- yellow 

 flowers. — Sec. 



f Smith's Flora BriUmnicn,vo\.ii. p. 719. English Botany, plate 2176. 

 Martyn Flora Rustica, vol. ii. plates 49 and 50. 



J h9.m?sc\i Encyclopedie Butaniquc,\o\.\. page 7^6. 



I] Poiret Encyrloptdie Botanigue,\o\.iv. pagc'Mty. 



^ Linn. Species Pla}it(iriim,e(.Vn. 2. vo\.ii.\->nge 9'3l. 



inferior 



