SIN 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



S I N 



579 



sphere of vegetation ; by which means it may be destroyed 

 on fallows. 



2. Sinapis Orientalis ; Oriental Mustard. Siliques hispid 

 backwards, slightly four-cornered, and compressed at the tip. 

 Annual. Native of the Levant. 



3. Sinapis Brassicata; Cabbage Mustard. Leaves obovate, 

 toothletted, even ; stem and pod like that of the cabbage.- 

 Native of China and Cochin-china. 



4. Sinapis Alba; White Mustard. Siliques hispid, torose, 

 shorter than the ancipital beak; leaves pinnatifid, hispid. 

 Root annual. Ray distinguishes this species from Common 

 Mustard and Charlock, by the leaves being more deeply and 

 frequently cut; the pods hairy, and standing out more from 

 the stalk; the seeds very large, so as to swell out the pod into 

 knots ; and the pod itself finishing in a broad, thin, oblong, 

 sword-shaped point. It is generally cultivated in gardens as 

 a salad herb, for winter and spring use. The seeds have 

 nearly the same properties with those of the next species. 

 Native of Germany, France, Flanders, Switzerland, and Bri- 

 tain, in corn-fields, on banks, and by road-sides, flowering in 

 June, and ripening its seeds in August. Sow the seeds very 

 thick in drills, upon a warm border, or, in very cold weather, 

 upon a moderate hot-bed. They will be fit for use in ten days 

 or a fortnight, for if they are large, and have rough leaves, they 

 are too strong to put into salads. To save the seeds, a spot 

 of ground must be sown in the spring; and when the plants 

 have four leaves, hoe the ground in dry weather, in the same 

 manner as for Turnips. Repeat this in a month's time, leaving 

 the plants eight or nine inches asunder. If this be well per- 

 formed, and in dry weather, the ground will remain clean till 

 the seeds are ripe. As soon as the pods change brown, cut 

 the plants off, and spread them upon cloths two or three days 

 to dry, and thresh them out for use. 



5. Sinapis Nigra ; Common or Black Mustard. Siliques 

 smooth, four-cornered, pressed to the raceme; upper leaves 

 linear-lanceolate, quite entire, smooth. Root annual, small ; 

 stem upright, round, streaked, three or four feet high, with 

 many distant spreading branches; flowers numerous, small, 

 bright yellow; seeds several, round, smooth, brown. The 

 hanging down of the upper leaves, distinguishes this at first 

 sight from its congeners. The seeds reduced to powder make 

 the common Mustard, so much requested at our tables. Taken 

 inwardly, in the quantity of a large table-spoonful, they gently 

 move the bowels, and are serviceable in asthmatic complaints, 

 the rheumatism, and palsy. The powdered seeds curdle milk, 

 and impregnate boiling water very strongly. This infusion, 

 when taken in considerable quantity, causes vomiting, but in 

 smaller closes it is a gentle aperient and diuretic. Poultices 

 made with Mustard flower, crumbs of bread, and vinegar, 

 are frequently applied to the soles of the feet in fevers, and 

 may be used to advantage in fixed rheumatic and sciatic 

 pains. In shoit, whenever a strong stimulating medicine is 

 wanted to act upon the nervous system, without exciting 

 much heat, there is none preferable to Mustard seed. A 

 large spoonful of the unbruised seeds taken every morning, is 

 excellent against rheumatic complaints, and the falling sick- 

 ness. They operate by urine, and moderately promote the 

 menstrual discharge; and while they are producing these 

 good effects, they strengthen the stomach, disperse wind, and 

 create an appetite. Eaten as a salad, it is an excellent anti- 

 scorbutic. The seeds distilled with water, yield an essential 

 oil of great acrimony : when pressed, they afford a consider- 

 able quantity of mild insipid oil, which is as free from 

 acrimony as that of Almonds. Bergius informs us, that he 

 found Mustard of great use in curing vernal intermittents ; 

 for this purpose he directed a spoonful of the whole seeds to 



VOL. M. 114. 



be taken three or four times a day, during the hot fit; and 

 when the disease was obstinate, he added flour of Mustard to 

 the bark. The seed may be given either entire or bruised, 

 to the quantity of a spoonful or half an ounce to a dose. 

 Common on hedge banks, waste ground, and the borders of 

 fields : flowers in the middle of summer. It is cultivated only 

 for the seeds, and should be sown in the same way as those 

 of the preceding species, and treated in the same manner, 

 only allowing the plants twice as much room, or hoeing them 

 o-ut to the distance of eighteen inches. Sometimes this 

 species requires to be hoed three times. The other species 

 may be treated in the same way. 



6. Sinapis Pyrenaica; Pyrenean Mustard. Siliques streak- 

 ed, rugged; leaves runcinate, even. Native of the Pyrenees, 

 Mount Cenis, and various Alps. 



7. Sinapis Pubescens; Pubescent Mustard. Siliques 

 pubescent, erect; beak compressed; leaves lyrate, villose ; 

 stem perennial, shrubby. Native of Sicily. 



8. Sinapis Hispida; Hispid Mustard. Siliques hispid, 

 erect; leaves lyrate, very rugged; stem hispid; root annual; 

 flowers yellow. Native of Morocco. 



9. Sinapis Chinensis ; Chinese Mustard. Siliques even, 

 slightly jointed, patulous ; leaves lyrate-runcinate, subhirsute. 

 There are two varieties of this species in Cochin-china, with 

 entire leaves, not lyrate, being more tender, and having more 

 flavour. The seeds also are used in medicine. Native of 

 China and Cochin-china, and very extensively cultivated in 

 both countries. 



10. Sinapis Jnncea; Fine-leaved Mustard. Branches in 

 bundles ; upper leaves lanceolate, quite entire. Annual. It 

 has the same pungency and smell as the common Mustard. 

 Native of China. 



11. Sinapis Allionii. Siliques ovate-oblong, patulous; 

 leaves pinnatifid ; segments gashed ; root fibrous, white, an- 

 nual. The whole plant nearly smooth. Grows in Austria. 



12. Sinapis Erucoides; Dwarf Mustard. Siliques smooth, 

 equal ; leaves lyrate, oblong, smooth. Root annual ; stem 

 eight or nine inches high, purplish, a little angular; leaves 

 much jagged, yellowish-green ; flowers white, in loose spikes. 

 Native of Italy and Spain. 



13. Sinapis Cernua; Pendulous Mustard. Siliques even, 

 patulous ; root-leaf lyrate ; end lobe very large, ovate, gash- 

 toothed. Native of Japan and China. 



14. Sinapis Hispanica; Spanish Mustard. Leaves doubly 

 pinnate; segments linear. Native of Spain. 



15. Sinapis Japonica; Japanese Mustard. Siliques even, 

 erect; leaves gash-pinnatifid, smooth. It flowers in May. 

 Native of Japan, about Jedo. 



16. Sinapis Incana; Hoary Mustard. Siliques pressed to 

 the raceme, even; lower leaves lyrate, rugged; upper lanceo- 

 late. Root branched, hard, acrid, having the taste and smell 

 of Navew. Stum rugged. It is biennial. Native of France, 

 Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland. 



17. Sinapis Frutescens; Shrubby Mustard. Siliques linear, 

 even; lower leaves oblong, toothed; upper lanceolate, entire; 

 stem smooth, shrubby. It flowers from December to June. 

 Native of the Island of Madeira. 



18. Sinapis Radicata. Root-leaves deeply lyrate, hispid ; 

 stem-leaves pinnate ; branches rod-like, smooth ; siliques 

 awl-shaped, torulose, spreading. Root perennial, very long, 

 twisted, having filiform branches ; stem hispid at the base, 

 smooth above. Found in the barren hills near Algiers. 



19. Sinapis Lsevigata; Smooth Mustard. Siliques even, 

 patulous ; leaves lyrate, smooth ; upper lanceolate. Stem 

 and leaves remarkably smooth; flowei-s large, yellow. Native 

 of Spain and Portugal, flowering in June and July. 



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