-102 THE CETTCirER FAMILY. 



In -waste places, especially near the sea, widely distributed over central 

 and southern Europe and temperate Russian Asia, extending northwards to 

 Sweden. In Britain, apparently indigenous near the coasts of some of the 

 eastern counties of England, appearing occasionally also in some other 

 loeahties. Fl. summer. 



5. Narro-w-leaved Cress. Iiepidium ruderale, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1595.) 



A glabrous annual, 6 inches to a foot high, with very much branched 

 wiry stems. The radical and lower leaves pinnatifid, with narrow lobes ; the 

 upper ones entu'e or nearly so, and linear. Flowers very minute, generally 

 without petals, and only 2 stamens. Pods sn-.aU, nearly orbicular ; the 

 valves keeled or sometimes very slightly winged at the top ; the style 

 very minute. 



In di-y gravelly soils, waste places, on rubbisli and old walls, chiefly near 

 the sea, nearly all over Europe and Russian Asia, except the extreme north. 

 In Britain, along the coast of England, from.Bristol round to Norfolk, but 

 scarcely wild inland. Fl. early summer, and often on till autumn. 



XXIV. SENEBZERA. SENEBIERA. 



Prostrate annuals, with pinnate leaves, and short racemes of small white 

 flowers opposite the leaves. Petals and stamens as in Cress. Pod laterally 

 compressed (at right angles to the narrow partition), orbicidar or broader 

 than long, either indehiscent or separatmg into two nuts, each with a 

 single seed. Radicle incinnbent on the back of the cotyledons, but the 

 bend is, as in Aivlwort, a little above the base of the cotyledons tliemselves, 

 not at their junction with the radicle. 



A genus of very few species, but vndely diffused over the whole range of 

 the Order. 



Pods 2 lines broad, deeply "orrinkled, sessile or nearly so 1. Common S. 



Pods 1 line broad, slightly wrinkled, on slender pedicels 2. Lesser S. 



1. Common Senebiera. Senebiera Coronopus, Pou<. 



{Coronopus RuelUi, Eng. Bot. t. 1660. Swine's- cress. Wartcress.) 

 A pale green, glabrous or glaucous annual, the stems, when first flowering, 

 forming a short, close tuft, afterwards spreading along the ground to the 

 length of 6 inches or more. Leaves once or twice pinnately divided, the 

 segments not numerous, linear or wedge-shaped, entire or toothed. Ra- 

 cemes at first forming close sessile heads, but, as the fi-uit ripens, lengthening 

 out to 1 or 2 inches. Pedicels seldom a line long. Pod about 2 lines 

 broad and not quite so long, scarcely notched at the top, marked with deep 

 wrinkles, which form a kmd of crest round the edge ; it usually remains 

 entire when ripe. 



In cultivated and waste places, in central and southern Europe to the 

 Caucasus, extending northward into Sweden. Rather plentiful in southern 

 England and Ireland, decreasing northwards, and quite local in Scotland. 

 Fl. summer and autumn. 



2. Iiesser Senebiera. Senebiera didyma, Pers. 



{Lepidium, Eng. Bot. t. 248.) 

 Much like the cotnmon S. in habit and foUage, but generally more slender 



