MUSTAivI/ FAMILY. 53 



bristly, the lower and turgid few-seeded portion shorter than the 1-sceded stout 

 and flattened beak ; seeds large, pale brown. 



B. (or Sinapis) nigra, BLACK MUSTARD. Cult, and in waste places; 

 leaves less hairy and less divided than the last ; pods erect in the raceme or 

 spike, smooth, short, 4-sided (the valves having a strong midrib), and tipped 

 with the short empty conical base of a slender style; seeds dark brown, smaller, 

 and more pungent than in the last. 



2. SISYMBRIUM, HEDGE MUSTARD. (The ancient Greek name.) 

 S. officinale, COMMON H. Coarse weed in waste places, with branch- 

 ing stems, runcinate leaves, and very small pale yellow flowers, followed by/ 

 awl-shaped obscurely 6-sided pods close pressed to the axis of the narrow spike. 



S. canescens, HOARY H. or TANSY-MUSTARD. Commonly only 

 B. & W., hoary, with finely cut twice-pinnatifid leaves, minute yellowish flow- 

 ers, and oblong-club-shaped 4-sided pods on slender horizontal pedicels. 



3. NASTURTIUM, WATER-CRESS, HORSERADISH, &c. (Name 

 from nasus tortus, convulsed nose, from the pungent qualities.) Here are 

 combined a variety of plants, widely different in appearance : the following 

 are the commonest. 



* Nat. from Eu. : thz white petals twice the length of the calyx. U 



N. Officinale, WATER-CRESS. Planted or run wild in streamlets, spread- 

 ing and rooting, smooth, with pinnate leaves of 3 - 1 1 roundish or oblong leaf- 

 lets ; fl. all summer ; pods broadly linear, slightly curved upwards on their 

 spreading pedicels. Young plants eaten. 



N. Arinoracia, HORSERADISH. Planted or run wild in moist soil ; with 

 yery large oblong or lanceolate leaves, chiefly from the ground, crenate, rarely 

 cut or pinnatifid ; pods globular, but seldom seen. The long deep root is a 

 familiar condiment. 



* * Indigenous species, in wet places : petals yellow or yellowish . 



N. pallistre, MARSH-CRESS. A very common homely weed, erect, l-3 

 high, with pinnatifid or lyrate leaves of several oblong cut-toothed leaflets, small 

 yellowish flowers, and small oblong or ovoid pods. 



N. sessilifl6rum, like the last, but with less lobed leaves, very minute 

 sessile flowers, and longer oblong pods, is common from Illinois S. And there 

 are 2 or 3 more in some parts, especially S. 



4. HESPERIS, ROCKET. (Greek for evening, the flowers being then 

 fragrant.) 1J. 



H. matronalis, COMMON or DAME R. Tall and rather coarse plant in 

 country gardens, from Eu., inclined to run wild in rich shady soil ; with oblong 

 or lanceolate toothed leaves, and rather large purple flowers, in summer, fol- 

 lowed by (2' -4') long and slender pods. 



6. MALCOLMIA. (Named for W. Malcolm, an English gardener.) 



M. maritima, MAHON STOCK, called VIRGINIA STOCK in England, but 

 comes from the shores of the Mediterranean : a garden annual, not much cult., 

 a span high, with pale green oblong or spatulate nearly entire leaves, and pretty 

 pink-red flowers changing to violet-purple, also a white var. (much smaller than 

 those of true Stock) ; pods long and slender. 



6. MATTHiOLA, STOCK or GILLIFLOWER. (Named for the early 

 naturalist, Matthioli.) Cult, garden or house plants, from Eu., hoary-leaved, 

 much prized for their handsome and fragrant, pretty large, pink, reddish, or 

 white flowers, of which there are very double and showy varieties. 

 M. incana, COMMON STOCK. 1J. Stout stem becoming almost woody 



not hardy at the N. 



M. annua, TEN-WEEK STOCK. Probably only an herbaceous variety 



of the last ; flowers usually not double. 



