THE MIGNONETTE FAMILY 
[ORDER VII. RESEDACE^E] 
HE members of this family are to be recognised by their long compact clusters of greenish- 
yellow or white flowers, which have insignificant lobed petals, numerous stamens, and open 
It is a very small order, the British species being limited to one genus, inhabiting Europe, 
Northern Africa, and Western Asia. Our sweet garden Mignonette (Reseda odorata) is a native 
of Egypt. 
MIGNONETTE. (RESEDA, LINN.) — Flowers small, greenish-yellow or white, in long terminal 
spike-like clusters (racemes), having a single bract at the base of each little flower-stalk. Sepals 
4-6 ; petals, the same number, unequal, the lower ones usually entire and very narrow (linear), the 
upper twice or thrice divided ; stamens 10-40; carpels 3 or 4, united into a i-celled seedcase, and 
separating into the same number of styles. Fruit a capsule opening at the top before the seeds 
are ripe by the same number of teeth as carpels ; many-seeded. Herbs, usually smooth, with 
alternate leaves. 
Wild Mignonette. (Reseda lutea, Linn.) — Flowers, small, greenish-yellow, with 
numerous yellow stamens, in long, thick, terminal, spike-like clusters (racemes). Sepals 6, 
narrow; petals 6, very unequal, 3-cleft; stamens 10-24; carpels 3, styles 3. Capsule oblong, 
opening at the top by 3 teeth. The stem 1-2 feet high, ascending, hard, stiff, and branched ; the 
leaves variable but always deeply divided, with the upper ones usually 3-cleft, and the lower 
deeply divided to the midrib (pinnatifid) into many narrow segments, margin wavy. A bushy 
plant. \Plate 16. 
Fairly common. Waste places, fields, especially on chalk or limestone soils. June — July. Biennial. 
Yellow-weed, Dyer’s Rocket, Weld. (Reseda Luteola, Linn.)— A similar plant, with 
more erect flower clusters, only 4 sepals, 4 petals, rounder capsules, the stem taller, 2-3 feet 
high, and the leaves entire, narrow, 2-3 inches long, blunt and shining. This plant was 
formerly used as a dye, but the yellow obtained from it is not very permanent and has been 
superseded. [ Plate 16. 
Common. Waste places, especially on chalk or limestone. June — August. Annual. 
*White Mignonette. (Reseda alba, Linn.)— Not a native. Very like the Wild 
Mignonette (Reseda lutea) but with whiter flowers, 5-6 sepals, 5-6 equal 3-cleft petals, and the 
leaves all deeply lobed to the midrib (pinnatifid) into numerous narrow segments. 
Rare. Sandy shores on the south coast of England and Ireland. July — August. Biennial. 
capsules. 
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