54 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



Var. a. oblongv.s. Eoot oblong. 

 Var. b. rotundus. Root subglobose. 

 Black Turnip-radisli. Spanish Eadisb. 



Annual. Stem 1-3 feet high, sparsely Wspid. branched. Leaves 8-12 or 15 inches 

 long, hispid. Sfliques with fungous or suberose partitions. Seeds few. large. 

 Gardens, kc. : cultivated. Native of Chma. FL June - September. ' Fr. July -October. 



Obs. The tender fleshy root of this plant is an universal favorite at 

 table, in early spring, and is found in every garden ; where, by succes- 

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

 perfection, a rich melloT^- soil and a wet season are requisite. It is 

 somewhat spontaneous in some places, the seed having escaped from 

 gardens. 



2. R. Raphaiustrum, 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. 



WUd Eadish. Jointed Charlock. 



Root annual, long and tapering. Loicer leaves lyrate, the upper lobe large and rounded ; 

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

 Fields especially eastward. July -September. 



0^5. iSTaturalized from Europe, and a troublesome weed in New Eng- 

 land and Xew York State, and extending westward. 



Order yn. HYPEEICA'CEJE. (St. John's-wort Family.) 



Herbs or sJu-ubs, with a resinous juice. Leaves opposite, entire, without stipules, punctate 

 -with black or pellucid dots. Flowers regular. CaZyxof 4-5 persistent sepals, the 2 

 outer ones often smaller. Petals i-b, convolute in the bud, often sprinkled with black 

 dots. Stamens usualiy 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 httle interest to the Agriculturist, — 

 with the esception of the obnoxious species here noticed. 



1. HTPEE'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- 

 sistent, 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. 



Perforated Hypericum. St. John's-wort. 



Fr. Millepcrtuis. Gerw?. Das Johannes kraut. S)jg?i. Corazoncillo. 



