Tklaspi campesTRE* Mithridate Mustard. 



THLASPI Lin. Gen-. PL Tetrad yn ami a Siliculosa. 



Silicula emarginata, obeordata, polyfperma : valvulis navicularibus, margiiiatti-earinatis. 



Raii Sym Gen. 21. Herb^e Tetrapetalje Siliquosje et Siliculosa. * 



THLASPI campeftre filiculis fubrotundisj foliis fagittatis dentatis-, incanis. Lin, Sp. P/. p. 902. Syft. 

 Vtgetab. p. 491. Ft. Suec. n. $j 5. 



NASTURTIUM foliis imis petiolatis ovatis, caulinis fagittatis dehtatis. Halter. Hi/I. n. 509* 



THLASPI campeftre; Stopoli Flor. Cam. h. 807* 



THLASPI arveiife, Vaccariae folio majus. Batib. Pin. 106. 



THLASPI mithridaticum five vulgatiffimum Vaccarias folio* Parkins, p. 835, 



THLASPI vulgatiiis. J. Baah. II. p-. 921. 



THLASPI vulgatiffimum. Ger. em. p. 262. Rail Syn. 305. Mithridate Muftard, Baftard CrefTes* 

 Hudfon. Ft. Angl. p. 281. Lightfoot Ft. Scot. p. 34 n 



RADIX annua, {implex, fibfofa. |R0OT aiinual, fimple, and fibrous. 



CAULIS pedalis ad fefquipedalem, erecius, teres, fub- 1 STALK a foot or a foot and a half high, upright* 

 angulofus, villofus, fuperne taiitum ramofus. t round, very flightly angular, villous, branched 



I at top only. 



I^OLIA radicalia lorige petiolata, oblohgo-bvata, 6b- 1 LEAVES next the root ftailding on long foot-ftalks, of 

 tufa, fae|>ius fubintegra, interdum vera bafi | an oblong ovate fhape, for the moft part nearly 



pinnatinda, cito marcefcentia, caulina fagittata, $ entire:, but fometimes pinnatifid at the bafe, 



fparfa, conferta^ fubere&a, villofa, dentata, | foon decaying, thofe of the ftalk arrow-fhaped, 



amplexicaulia» I placed irregularly, numerous, nearly upright, 



i villous, toothed, and embracing the ftalki 



FLORES minimi, albi. I FLOWERS very fmall and white* 



RACEMI longi, erecU *RACEMI long and upright. 



PEDUNCULI teretes-, villofi, patentes, filiculis paulo | FLOWER- STALKS round, villous and fpreading, a 

 longiores. % little longer than the feed-pods. 



CALYX: Perianthium tetraphyllum, fotiblis bvatis, | CALYX : a Perianthium of four leaves, the leaflets 

 obtufis* concavis, ad lentem fubpilofis, mar- % Ovate, obtufe, hollow, (lightly hairy when 



ginibus et apicibus albidis, alternis paulo bre^ | magnified, the edges and tips whitim. the 



vioribus et anguftioribus^ fig. 1 . | alternate ones fhorter and narrower than the 



% others, fig. 1. 



COROLLA: PetalA quatuor, alba, calyce paulo lbri- 1 COROLLA compofed of foil r white Petals, a little 

 giora, limbo fubrotuhdo, ungue gracili, fig: 2. •% longer than the calyx, the limb roundim, and 



I claw very -(lender, Jig. 2. 



STAMINA: Filamenta fex, quorum duo paulo bre- % STAMINA : fix Filaments, of which two are fhorter 

 viora. AnTherje flavas, fig. 3. | than the reft, fig. 3. 



PISTILLUM: Germen ovale, compreffum, emargi- ^PISTILLUM : Germen oval, flat, emarginate. Style 

 natum. Stylus brevimmus. StIgma capi- | very fhort. StigxMa forming a little head, 



tatum, fig. 4. I Jig. 4- 



PERICARPIUM: Silicula ovata, bbtufa, emarginata J SEED-VESSEL : an ovate Pod, obtufe, emarginate, 

 difperma, inferne gibba, fuperUe concava, fe- 1 containing two feeds, underneath gibbous, 



minibus protuberantibus, fig. 5, 6* % above concave, the feeds protu berating, Jig. 



% Si 6. 



The Tbh.fpi ar-venfefdiqu'is tatis of C. Bauhine, and the prefent fpecies, arc the two whofe feeds have been felecled 

 from this numerous genus for medicinal ufe. Thefe appear to have been ufed indiicriminately ; and fometimes the 

 feeds of the common Crefs (Lapidiumfativum) have been fubftituted for both. Their virtues appear to be pretty 

 fimilar : Rutty prefers thofe of the arvenfie, as being the moft active : they certainly have much more of the allia- 

 ceous tafte than thofe of the campefire. 



In the prefent practice they are rarely made ufe of any Otherwife than as ingredients in the Venice Treacle and 

 Mithridate, though fome recommend them in different diforders, preferably to the common Muftard, with which 

 they agree nearly in their pharmaceutic properties. Lewis, Mat. Med. p. 647. 



The prefent fpecies is not an unuiual inhabitant of corn-fields ; nevertheless it is rather a fcarce plant with us. 

 We have noticed it in the greateft plenty about Coomb Wood* near Kingfton. Dr. Goodenough informs me, iris 

 not uncommon in Gunnerfbury Lane, near Ealing. 



It flowers in June, and ripens its feeds in July and Auguft, 



