L E P 
and fend out many fide branches ; the leaves upon the 
Halles are longer, narrower, and more acute-pointed 
than the lower, and are not fawed on their edges. 
The flowers grow in dole bunches toward the top of 
the branches, which come out from the fide •, they are 
fmall, and are compofed of four fmall white petals, 
which appear in June and July, and the feeds ripen 
in the autumn. The whole plant has a hot biting 
tafte like Pepper, and the leaves have been often ufed 
by the country people to give a relifh to their viands 
inftead of Pepper, from whence it had the appellation 
of Poor Man’s Pepper. 
This plant is eafily propagated, for every piece of 
the root will grow and multiply wherever it is planted, 
fo will become troublefome to root out after growing 
for fome time in a garden. The leaves of this plant 
bruifed and mixed with hog’s lard, and applied as 
a cataplafm to the hip, help the fciatica ; and 
chewed in the mouth, caufe a great defluxion of 
rheum, fo is faid to help fcrophulous tumours in the 
throat. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in Auftria and Italy ; 
this hath a flefliy fibrous root, from whence arife fe- 
veral weak ftalks about a foot and a half high, which 
are garniftied with fpear-fhaped leaves, three inches 
long and one and a half broad, deeply cut in upon 
the edges * thefe are fmooth, a little hoary, and em- 
brace the ftalks with their bafe ; the flowers are fmall, 
white, and grow in loofe bunches at the end of the 
branches. They flower from June till the beginning 
of September, and the feeds ripen in the autumn. 
This is a perennial plant, which propagates very faft 
by its roots, and is ieldom admitted into gardens. 
The third fort grows naturally about Aleppo ; this 
hath creeping roots, which extend to a great dif- 
tance, fo will loon fp read over a large piece of ground. 
The leaves of this are longer and narrower than 
thofe of the former, and are lefs hoary ; the flowers 
grow in loofe bunches at the end of the branches ; 
they are fmall and white like thofe of the firft. This 
is a hardy perennial plant, which propagates by its 
creeping roots in as great plenty as either of the 
former. 
The fourth fort grows naturally in the fouth of 
France, Italy, and Sicily, but is preferved in fome 
Englilli gardens for variety. This hath a long flefliy 
root, which runs deep into the ground, and fends out 
many oblong leaves, which are fawed on their edges, 
and fpread flat on the ground *, the ftalks are dea- 
der, ftiff, and branch out horizontally on every fide ; 
they rife about two feet high, and are garnilhed with 
very narrow entire leaves. The flowers come out in 
clofe fmall clufters at the ends of the branches ; 
they are white, and appear in June and July, and the 
feeds ripen in the autumn. If the feeds are permitted 
to fcatter, the plants will come up early in the l'pring, 
and require no other care but to keep them clean 
from weeds •, the roots will abide feveral years if 
they are in a dry foil. This plant is alfo commended 
for its virtues in lciaticas, if bruifed and mixed with 
hog’s lard as the firft, and from its virtues it obtained 
the title of Sciatica Crefs. 
The fifth fort grows naturally in Perfia and Syria ; 
this is fuppofed to be the true Mithridate Muftard of 
Diofcorides. It is an annual plant, whofe lower leaves 
are winged, and finely cut into many fegments ; the 
ftalks rife a foot high, dividing into many flender 
branches, which are garniftied with heart-lhaped 
leaves that are entire, and embrace the ftalks with 
their bafe. The flowers grow in long loofe fpikes from 
the end of the branches •, they are fmall, yellow, and 
appear in June and July, and the feeds ripen in Sep- 
tember, foon after which the plant decays. 
The feeds of this plant fhould be fown in the au- 
tumn, for thofe which are fown in the fpring feldom 
flower the fame year, and are often killed by the froft 
in winter ; whereas thofe which are fown in the au- 
tumn, or the plants that rife from fcattered feeds, will 
always flower about Midftimmer, and the feeds ripen 
in Auguft and September following. The plants re- 
LEP 
quire no other care but to thin them, and keep them 
clean from weeds. * 
The fixth fort is an annual plant, which grows na- 
turally in Virginia, and alfo in all the iflands of the 
Weft-Indies, where the inhabitants gather the leaves, 
and eat them in their fallads, as we do the Garden 
Crefs. 
The lower leaves of this fort are three inches loose 
and one broad, fawed on their edges, and are of a light 
green, with a biting tafte like Crefs. The ftalk rifes 
a foot and a half high, fending out a great number 
of fmall fide branches, which are garnifhed with nar- 
row leaves regularly fawed on their edges, fo as to re- 
femble winged leaves ; thefe fit clofe to the brandies. 
The flowers are produced at the end of the branches 
in loofe fpikes ; they are fmall and white, and are fuc- 
ceeded by roundifh or heart-lhaped comprefled feed- 
veffels, which have a border round them. It flowers 
in June and July, and the feeds ripen in the au- 
tumn ; this fort is eafily propagated by feeds, which 
may be fown upon an open bed in April, where the 
plants are defigned to remain •, and when they come 
up, they will require no other care but to thin them 
where they are too clofe, and keep them conftantly 
clean from weeds ; or if the feeds are permitted to 
fcatter in the autumn, the plants will come up very 
well, and may be treated in the fame way as the 
other. 
The feventh fort grows naturally in Afia, and alfo in 
Spain, from whence I have received the feeds. This 
is a biennial plant ; the lower leaves which fpread on 
the ground, are near two inches long, and about half' 
an inch broad, indented on both fides in fhape.of a . 
lyre, and curled on the edges j the ftalks rife a foot 
high, and divide into a great number of flender 
branches, garnilhed with frnall oblong leaves, which 
are cut on their fides, and a little curled on their 
edges ; the ftalks and leaves are of a gray colour, 
inclining toward hoarinefs. The flowers are produced 
in clufters at the end of the branches •, they are very 
fmall and white, appearing in July, and are fucceeded 
by roundilh bordered feed-veffels, which are com- 
prefled, and have two cells each, containing two 
fmall oblong feeds, which are ripe in the autumn. 
This fort may be propagated by feeds in the fame 
manner as the former ; or if the feeds are permitted to 
fcatter in the autumn, the plants will come up with- 
out care, and fhould be treated in the fame way 
as the former fort ^ but this does not flower till the 
fecond year, fo the plants Ihould be left farther 
afunder. 
The eighth fort grows naturally about Montpelier. 
It is a fmall annual plant, having a few wing-pointed 
leaves which fpread on the furface of the ground ; 
between which arifes a naked ftalk two or three 
inches high, lupporting five or fix fmall white flowers, 
each having four petals placed crofswife, and four fta- 
mina placed near the ftyle ■, the germen afterward be- 
comes a fhort capfule, including four or five roimdiili 
feeds. 
If the feeds of this fort are fown in the autumn, the 
plants will flower in April and their feeds ripen in 
May ; which, if permitted to fcatter, the plants will 
come up in autumn, and require no other care but 
to thin them where they are too clofe, and weed 
them. 
The ninth fort is alfo a low annual plant, which grows , 
naturally on Putnev-heath ; the leaves of this are 
winged and entire, thefe are placed near the ground 5 
the flower-ftalks rife two inches high, fupporting a 
few white flowers, whofe petals are lefs than the em- 
palement, and are indented at their points. This 
flowers in May and June, and if their feeds are 
permitted to fcatter, the plants will come up as the 
former. 
The tenth fort is the Garden Crefs, fo much ufed in 
winter and fpring fallads, and being fo well known 
requires no defeription. There are three varieties of 
this, one with broad leaves, another with curled 
leaves, and the common fort which is ufedj the feeds 
of 
i 
