
804 The American Naturalist. [September, 
forty pounds. This weight has, however, been exceeded in mod- 
ern times. Matthiolus,” in 1558, had heard of turnips that 
weighed a hundred pounds, and speaks of having seen long and 
purple sorts that weighed thirty pounds. Amatus Lusitanus,” 
in 1524, speaks of turnips weighing fifty and sixty pounds. In 
England, in 1792, Martyn ” says the greatest weight that he is 
acquainted with is thirty-six pounds. In California, about 1850, 
a turnip is recorded of one hundred pounds weight. 
Brassica napus esculenta DC." 
This differs from the Brassica rapa oblonga by its smooth and 
glaucous leaves. It surpasses other turnips by the sweetness of 
` its flavor, and furnishes white, yellow, and black varieties. It is 
known as the Navet or French turnip.” It was apparently the 
napa of Columella. It was certainly known to the early bot- 
anists, yet its synonymy is difficult to be traced from the figures. 
I think, however, the following are correct : 
Napus. Trag., 1552, 730; Math, 1554, 240; Pik, 1561, 
144; Cam. Epit., 1586, 222; Dod., 1616, 674; Fischer, 1646. 
Bunias sive napus. Lob. ic., 1591, I., 200. 
Bunias silvestris lobelii. Ger., 1597, 181. 
Napi. Cast. Dur., 1617, 304. 
Bunias. Bodzus, 1644, 773. 
Napus dulcis. Blackw., 1765, t. 410. 
Navet petit de Berlin. Vilm., 1883, 360. 
Teltow turnip. Vilm., 1885, 580. 
The zavews are mentioned as under cultivation in England by 
Worlidge,™ in 1683, as the French turnip by Wheeler,” in 1763, 
and Millers Dictionary, 1807. Gasparin” says the navet de 
Berlin, which often acquires a great size, is much grown in 
20 Matthiolus. Com., 1558, 240. 
21 Amatus Lusitanus. In Diosc., 1554, 247. 
22 Martyn, FI. Rustica, 1792. 
23 A, Williams.. U.S. Pat. Of. Rept., 1851, 4. 
24 Syst. Hort. By J. W. Gent, 1683, 181. 
25 Wheeler. Bot. and Gard. Dict., 1763, 8I. 
26 Gasparin. Cours de Agr., IV., 116 


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