R A P 
them, until they are advanced fo high as to fpread 
over the ground, when they will prevent the growth 
of weeds. 
When the feed begins to ripen, you fhould carefully 
guard it againft the birds, for thefe will otherwile 
defcroy it. When- it is ripe (which you may know 
by the pods changing brown,) you fhould cut it, 
and fpread it in the fun to dry, after which you 
fhould threfh it out, and lay it up for ufe, where the 
mice cannot come to it, otherwife they will eat it up. 
The finall round-rooted Radifh is not very common 
in England, but in many parts of Italy it is the only 
fort cultivated ; the roots of this kind are very white, 
round, fmall, and very fweet. This may be propa- 
gated in the fame manner as the common fort, but 
with this difference only, viz. That this muff not be 
fown till the beginning of March, and theplants fhould 
be allowed a greater diftance. The feeds of this 
kind are very fubjedt to degenerate, when faved in 
England, unlefs thofe which are planted for feeds arc 
at fuch a diftance from the common fort, as that the 
farina of one cannot mix with the other. 
The other round-rooted Radifhes are feldom cul- 
tivated in England, but thofe who have a mind to 
have them, may fow them in the fame manner as 
the laft. 
The black and white Spanifh Radifhes are common- 
ly cultivated for medicinal ufe, though there are 
fome perfons who are very fond of them for the ca- 
ble. Thefe are commonly fown about the middle of 
July, or a little earlier, and are fit for the table 
by the end of Auguft, or the-beginning of Septem- 
ber, and will continue good till the froft fpoils them. 
Thefe muft be thinned to a greater diftance than the 
common fort, for the roots of thefe grow as large as 
Turneps, therefore fhould not be left nearer together 
than fix cr eight inches. 
Some perfons who are very curious to have thefe roots 
in winter, draw them out of the ground before the 
hard froft comes on, and lay them up in dry fand in 
the fame manner as is pradifed for Carrots, being 
careful to guard them from wet and froft, and by this 
method they preferve them till the fpring. 
RAPISTRUM. See Sinapis. 
RAPUNCULUS. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 1 13. tab. 
38. Phyteuma. Lin. Gen. Plant. 203. Rampion. 
The Characters are, 
The empalement of the flower is of one leaf \ divided into 
five acute parts fitting upon the germen. The flower hath 
one petals which is fiarry , fpreading open , and cut into 
five linear fegments which are recurved ■, it hath five fta- 
mina which are /sorter than the petal, terminated by 
oblong fummits. The germen , which is fituated under 
the flower , fupports a fender recurved flyle crowned by 
an oblong , twifted, three-pointed fiigma. It afterward 
becomes a roundifh capfule with three cells , filled with 
fmall roundifh feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedtion 
of Linnaeus’s fifth clafs, in which thofe plants 
are placed, whofe flowers have five ftamina and one 
ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Rapunculus (. Spicatus ) fpica oblonga, capfulis bilo- 
cularibus, foliis radicalibus cordatis. Rampion with an 
oblong fpike of flowers, capflules containing two cells , and 
the lower leaves heart-fhaped. Rapunculus fpicatus. 
C. B. P. 92. Spiked Rampion . 
2. Rapunculus ( Comoflus ) fafciculo terminali fefiili, fo- 
liis dentatis, radicalibus cordatis. Rampion with flow- 
ers growing in bunches terminating the flalks , indent- 
ed leaves , and thofe at the bottom heart-fhaped. Ra- 
punculus Alpinus corniculatus. C. B. P. 93. Horned 
Alpine Rampion. 
3. Rapunculus ( Hemifphericus ) capitulo fubrotundo, 
foliis linearibus integerrimis. Rampion with roundifh 
heads , and linear entire leaves. Rapunculus folio gra- 
mineo. Tourn. Inft. 113. Rampion with a Grafs leaf. 
4. Rapunculus (Pauciflorus) capitulo fubfoliofo, foliis 
omnibus lanceolatis. Rampion with heads which are 
leafy , and all the leaves flpear-fhaped. Rapunculus Al- 
R A P 
pinus parvus comofus. J. B. 2. p. 811. Small, Alpine 1, 
hairy Rampion. 
5. Rapunculus ( Orbicularus ) capitulo fubrotundo, foliis 
ferratis radicalibus cordatis. Rampion with roundifh 
heads and flawed leaves , the lower ones of which art 
heart-fhaped. Rapunculus flore globofo, purpurea, 
J. B. 2. 810. Rampion with a purple globular flower. 
Thefe are all of them hardy plants, which will thrive 
in the open air. They are propagated by feed, 
which fhould be fown in autumn, for if they are kept 
out of the ground till the fpring, they frequently 
fail, or at leaft lie a year in the ground. Thefe feeds 
.fhould be fown on a bed of frefh undunged earth 
where they are defigned to remain, for they do not 
thrive fo well when they are tranfplanted j therefore 
the beft method is to make fmall drills crofs the 
bed about eighteen inches afunder, and fow the feeds 
therein then cover them lightly over with earth, for 
if they are buried too deep, they will rot in the 
ground. In the following fpring the plants will 
come up, when they fhould be diligently weeded, 
which is all the care they require ; only they fhould be 
thinned where they are too clofe, fo as to leave them 
fix or feven inches apart in the rows, and afterward 
they require no farther attention but to keep them 
clear from weeds. In Jufie the plants will flower, 
and if the fu mirier prove favourable, they will pro- 
duce ripe feeds. 
As thefe plants do not continue above two or three 
years, there fhould be feeds fown every other year 
to continue the forts, for they are plants which re- 
quire little trouble to cultivate them, and their Bow- 
ers make a pretty variety in large gardens, therefore 
they may be allowed a place amongft other hardy 
flowers. 
RAPUNTIUM. Toucn. Inft. R. H. 163. tab 5 r. 
Lobelia. Lin. Gen. Plant. 897. Rampions, or Cardi- 
nal’s-flower. 
The Characters are, 
The empalement of the flozver is of one leaf. \ cut into five 
linear fegments , the two upper being larger than the other. 
The flower is of one petal ■, it hath a long cylindrical tube 
which is a little curved , and divided at the brim into five 
fegments , two of which compofe the upper lip , and are 
/matter than the three lower which compofe the under j 
it hath five awl-fhaped ftamina the length of the tube , ter- 
minated by oblong fummits which toalefce at the top in 
form of a cylinder , but open in five parts at their bafe , 
having an acute germen fituated below the flower, fupporting 
a cylindrical ftyle crowned by a hairy obtufe ftigraa. The 
germen afterward becomes an oval capfule opening at the 
top , filled with fmall feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fedtion 
of Tournefort’s third clafs, which includes the herbs 
with an anomalous flower of one petal, having a tube 
ending in a tongue. Dr. Linnasus has joined the 
plants of this genus to that of Plumier’s Lobelia, 
making them but one genus ; but, as the Lobelia of 
Plumier has a flefhy berry inclofing a ftone with two 
feeds, and the Rapuntium hath a dry capfule, they 
fhould be feparated. 
The Species are, 
r. Rapuntium (Cardinals) caule eredto, foliis lanceola- 
tis ferratis, fpioa terminali. Cardinal s- flower with an 
ere A folk, flpear-fhaped flawed leaves, and a fpike of flow- 
ers terminating the ftalk. Rapuntium maximum, coc- 
cineo fpicato flore. Col. in Rech. 880 .The larged 
Rapuntium with a fpike of ftarlet flowers , commonly call- 
ed fcarlet Cardinal 3 s-flower. 
2. Rapuntium ( Siphiliticum ) cauie erecto, foliis ovate- 
lanceolatis crenatis, calycum flnubus reflexis. Cardi- 
nal 3 s-flower with an ere A ftalk , oval, ftp ear -ft japed, cre- 
nated leaves , and the finufles of the empalements reflexed. I 
Rapuntium Americanum, flore dilute cseruleo. H.R. 
Par. 105. American Cardinal s flower with a pale blue 
flower, commonly called the blue Cardinals -flower. 
3. Rapuntium ( Cliffortiamm ) cable erecto, foliis cor- 
datis obfolete dentatis petiolatis, ftoribus fparfis thyrfo 
longiflimo. Cardinal 3 s-flower with an ereA ftalk, heart- 
fhaped leaves which are flomewhat indented , zvith foot- 
1 1 G Mks v 
I 
