CRUCIFERA. 177 
considerably broader than any of the lateral ones, which are 
commonly oval. 
Var. 2, siifoliwm. 
N. siifolium, eich. Ic. Fl. Germ. et Helv. Vol. II. Zeér. Tab. L. Fig. 4361. 
Stem erect. Terminal leaflet lanceolate, not broader than the 
lateral ones, which are elliptical. 
In streams and ditches. Var. a common throughout England 
and the South of Scotland, more rare towards the North, but reach- 
ing as far as Orkney. Var. 6 apparently rare; as I have myself 
only seen it by the side of a ditch leading from Long Niddrie to the 
sea in Haddingtonshire, but other observers speak as if it had 
fallen under their notice more frequently. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer, Autumn. 
Stem procumbent and rooting at the base, then floating or 
ascending, angular, hollow, branched, 1 to 2 feet long in var. «, 
and in var. 6 often quite erect, and 3 to 6 feet high. Leaves 
pinnate, with usually 5 to 7 leaflets, but sometimes as many as 
13 to 15 in var. 6; leaflets distant, sessile, slightly angulated, the 
terminal one frequently sub-cordate at the base in var.a. Flowers 
white, about 4 inch across; edges of the sepals and filaments 
generally tinged with purple. Fruit pedicels } to } inch long, 
spreading horizontally or even slightly deflexed. Pods beaded, 
2 to 2 inch long, forming an obtuse angle with the inner side of 
the pedicel; valves with numerous fine nerves but not a conspicu- 
ous middle one. Seeds in 2 distinct rows in each cell of the pod, 
reddish brown, roundish, much compressed, the surface roughened 
with small protuberances. Whole plant deep green, the upper 
side of the leaves sometimes tinged with olive-brown, glabrous 
and shining. 
Var. & seems to pass imperceptibly into var. a, from which, 
however, it may be permanently distinct, as in the only station 
where I have seen it, it was to be seen year after year without any 
variation, until the ditch was filled up, about ten years ago, when 
of course the plant entirely disappeared. Professor Babington 
considers N. microphyllum, figured by Reichenbach, Tab. L. 
Fig. 4360, as a state of N. officinale when growing out of water. 
Reichenbach’s figure represents a plant with very much the habit 
of Cardamine amara, having the petals about twice as long as the 
common Water-Cress, from which it differs remarkably in the 
pedicels being about one-half longer than the pods. Nasturtium 
officinale can be confounded with none of the British Crucifere, 
except those of the genus Cardamine, from which its short turgid 
2A 
