28 HORSE-RADISH. 



Description. — The root is perennial, long, white, cylindrical, 

 running deep into the ground, and is with difficulty extirpated. The 

 stem is erect, cylindrical, smooth, branched towards the top, and 

 rises to the height of two or three feet; the flowering stems 

 angular. The radical leaves are very large, dark-green, oblong, 

 crenated and much veined, supported on long footstalks; the 

 cauline leaves are smaller, sessile, often incised, the uppermost 

 elongated, lanceolate, toothed or quite entire. The flowers are 

 numerous, and terminate the stem and branches in loose, racemose, 

 paniculate corymbs. The calyx consists of four ovate, equal, con- 

 cave, spreading, deciduous sepals. The corolla is white, of four 

 cruciform petals, with an obovate, obtuse limb, twice as long as 

 the calyx. The stamens are tetradynamous, simple, with subulate 

 incurved filaments, terminated by yellow cordate anthers. The 

 germen is roundish, oblong, surmounted by a short style, crowned 

 by a capitate disciform stigma. The fruit is an oblong silicle, or 

 pod, wrinkled, veiny, with turgid valves and slender dissepiment ; 

 two-celled, many- seeded (often abortive). The seeds are small, 

 globose and destitute of a margin ; the cotyledons are accumbent 

 (o = ). Plate 26, fig 4, (a) calyx ; (b) petal ; (c) stamens and pistil ; 

 (d) pistil, separated ; (e) fruit, or silicle. 



Horse-radish is a native of Europe, in watery mountainous 

 places. It has been found in several parts of England and Scot- 

 land apparently wild, but such plants are probably the outcasts of 

 gardens.* It flowers in May and June. 



The generic name is derived from cochlear, a spoon ; the leaves 

 of many of the species being hollowed like the bowl of a spoon. 

 Armoracia is formed from the Celtic, ar near, mor the sea, rich 

 against, viz., a plant growing near the sea. Horse-radish has 

 been called provincially red-cole. 



Like many other plants which increase chiefly by the root, Horse- 



* Gerard, who seems to have considered it indigenous, has the following 

 remarks upon it: " Horse-radish for the most part groweth, and is planted 

 in gardens ; yet have I found it wilde in sundry places, as at Namptwich 

 in Cheshire, in a place called the Milne Eye; as also at a small village 

 neere London, called Hogsdon, in the field next to a farme-house leading to 

 Kings-land, where my very good friend, Master Bredwell, practitioner 

 in phisicke, a learned and diligent searcher of simples, and Mr. William 

 Marten, one of the fellowship of Barber-surgeons, my deare and loving 

 friend, in company with him found it, and gave me knowledge of the 

 place, where it flourishcth to this day." 



