54 



ArEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



Var. a. oblongus. Root oblong. 

 Var. b rotundus. Eoot subglobose. 

 Black Turnip-radish. Spanish Radish. 



Annual. Stan 1-3 feet liigh, sparsely hispid, ■branched. Leaves S-12 or 15 incbea 

 long, hispid. Siliques with fungous or snherose partitions. Seeds few, \arso. 

 Gardens, &c. : cultivated. Native of China. 11. June -September. J'jC July- October. 



0^5. The tender fleshy rcot of this plant is an universal favorite at 

 table, in early spring, and is found in every garden ; v\-here, by succes- 

 sive planting, it may be produced all summer. To produce the^ root in 

 perfection, a rich mellow soil and a wet season are requisite. It is 

 somewhat spontaneous in some places, the seed having escaped from 

 gardens. 



2. R. Raplianlstrum, L. Pod long-beaked, 2-jointed ; the lower joint often 

 seedless and stalk-like ; the upper one necklace-form by constriction be- 

 tween the seeds, with no proper partition ; flowers yellow, turning white 

 or purplish. 



Wild Radish. Jointed Charlock. 



Eoot annual, long and tapering. Loive)- leaves lyrate, the upper lohe large and rounded • 

 the upper leaves lanceolate, sinuate-dentate, all rough with bristly hairs. 

 Fields especially eastward. July -September. 



Obs. Naturalized from Europe, and a troublesome weed in New Eng- 

 land and New Tork S Late, and extending westward. 



OEDERYn. HYPEEICA'CE^. (St. Johx's-wort Family.) 



Herbs or shrubs, with a resinous juice. Leaves opposite, eijtire, without stipules, punctate 

 with black or pellucid dots. Floivers regular. Calyx oi 4:-b persistent sepals, the 2 

 outer ones often smaller. Pefak 4-5, convolute in the bud, often sprinkled with black 

 dots. Stamens usually numerous and united in 3 or more clusters. Capsule with septici- 

 dal dehiscence, many-seeded. Seeds destitute of albumen. 



An order containing but few genera ; and those of little interest to the Agriculturist,— 

 with the exception of the obnoxious species here noticed. 



1. HTPER'TCUM, L. St. John's-wort. 



[A name of obscure derivation and meaning.] 



Sepals 5. Petals 5, oblique or unequal-sided. Stamens mostly numer- 

 ous ; the filaments united at base in 3 - 5 parcels. Styles 3-5, per- 

 gistent, sometimes united. Capsule membranaceous, 3-celled by the pla- 

 centae meeting at the axis. Herbaceous or shrubby. Flowers cymose. 



1. H. perforatum, L. Herbaceous ; stem somewhat two-edged ; leaves 

 linear-elliptic, rather obtuse, sessile, pellucid punctate ; flowers in leafy 

 paniculate corymbs : petals and anthers with dark purple dots ; styles 3, 

 long, diverging. 



Peeforited HYPEKicuir. St. John's-wort. 



Fr. Millepcrtuis. Germ. Pas Johannes kraut. Spa/2. Corazoncillo. 



