46 CEUCiFER.E. [Raphanus. 



angles, and intermediate veins, and consisting of two unequal, indebiscent, single- 

 celled joints ; superior articulation ovate-oblong, subglobose, ending in a short, 

 obscurely 2-edged, blunt beak, the lower end abrupt with a deep hollow or aceta- 

 bulum for receiving the convex extremity of the inferior, somewhat turbinate and 

 often abortive joint, which separates when ripe from the superior one at the slight- 

 est touch on the uneven commissure, the margin of which is produced into two 

 lateral obtuse projections, readily seen in the more ligneous state of maturity. 

 Seeds naturally 1 in each cell, but that in the lower joint often abortive, yellowish, 

 ovate-oblong or elliptical, subreniform, compressed, with 1 or 2 deep longitudinal 

 furrows; that in the upper joint erect, in the lower pendulous. The cotyledons 

 and embryo are beautifully and readily seen in the unripe seeds of this plant. 

 The inner hypogynous ylands at the base of the two solitary stamens are rounded, 

 those on th outer side of the four combined and longer ones (united in 2 sets) 

 are elongate almost strap-shaped.* 



XXI. Eaphanus, Linn. Eadish. 



" Fruit without valves or a dissepiment, with a long style, 

 several-seeded. Calyx erect." — Br. Fl. 



1. R. Raphanistrum, L. Wild Radish. Jointed Charlock. 

 " Leaves simply lyrate, fruit jointed, style 2 — 3 times longer than 

 the last joint."— ^r. Fl. p. 43. E. B. t. 856. 



In cornfields and cultivated ground, not unfrequent. i^'Z. April — November. 0. 



E. Med. — Plentiful amongst turnips at Nettlestone green. Field betweeo Quarr 

 abbey and the Fish-houseg, sparingly. Waste garden-ground at Ryde, varying 

 with very pale or white flowers and veined with purple. In turnip-fields at Niton, 

 where I have seen it so abundant as to look as if sown for a green crop. Fields 

 above E. Cowes, and Sandownbay. 



W. Med.^Gmnet bay. Miss G. Kilderbee ! 



Root annual, slender, long and tapering, in taste very like the common radish. 

 Stem branched, diffuse or spreading, rounded and rough with bristly hairs directed 

 downwards. Lower leaves lyrate, the terminal lobe very large and rounded ; up- 

 permost lanceolate, sinuato-dentate, all rough with stiff hairs or bristles. Flowers 

 in corymbs, about the size of those of Sinapis arvensis, but narrower, lemon- 

 yellow or sometimes nearly white, prettily reined with reddish or purple streaks, 

 which though not always conspicuous, may be easily seen against the light, and 

 which serve to distinguish this plant from all other British species of its tribe 

 likely to be confounded with it. Sepals narrow, coloured, erect, a little spread- 

 ing at the tips only, more or less bristly. Petals narrow, with long, very 

 slender claws. Hypogynous glands solitary at the base of the two shorter stamens, 

 quadrangular, with a depression on their summit, those of the longer filaments 

 also single but oblong. Siliques in elongated clustei's, stalked, curved, striated, 

 with very irregular, often very tumid joints of 2 imperfect cells whose spongy 

 radiating dissepiment becomes obliterated when ripe, ending in a brownish taper- 

 ing beak. Seeds several, ovoid. Cotyledons conduplicate, embracing the radicle 

 at their lower extremities. 



Mertens and Koch (Deutschl. Fl.), correctly observe that this plant is not really 

 one-celled, as commonly stated. The dissepiment is very clearly seen on cutting 

 the pod across between the seeds, but is often distinguishable with difficulty from 

 the spongy radiations that fill up the cavity. The seeds, which fill the entire area 

 of the pod, seem included in a fold of the septum. A pod, when slit down longi- 

 tudinally, presents a series of cells in a single row connected by a septum down 

 the centre with a cavity on each side between it and the walls of the pod, either 



* Perhaps these glands may afford good auxiliary generic or specific cha- 

 racters in this Order. 



