S I s 
the end of July. The roots of this plant are com- 
pofed of thick fiefhy knots fomewhat like thofe of 
the King’s Spear. 
Thefe tv/o laft mentioned forts may be cultivated by 
feeds, which fhould be fown in autumn, for thofe 
which are fown in the fpring feldom grow the firft 
year. The plants- requite no other culture than to 
thin them where they are too clofe, and keep them 
cledn from weeds ; they both delight in a moil! foil 
and a fhadv fituation, where the roots will continue 
feveral years. 
SISYMBRIUM. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 225. tab. 
109. Lin. Gen. Plant. 728. Water CrdTes. 
The Characters are, 
The flower has a flpreading empalement compofed of four 
linear , [pear -jh aped, coloured leaves , which fall off ; it 
has flour oblong flpreading petals placed in form of a crefs, 
and fix ftamina , four of which are longer than the em- 
palement, the other two , which are oppofite , are fhorter , 
and terminated by Jingle fummits \ it has an oblong flen- 
der germen with fcarce any ftyle , crowned by an obtufe 
Jligma. The germen afterward becomes a taper , oblong , 
incurved pod having two cells , opening with two valves 
which are fhorter than the intermediate partition , and 
filled with fmall feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond feftion 
of Linnaeus’s fifteenth clafs, which contains thofe 
plants whofe flowers have four long and two fhorter 
ftamina, and the feeds are included in pods. 
The Species are, 
1. Sisymbrium ( Nafliurtium aquaticum) filiquis declina- 
tis, foliis pinnatis, foliolis fubcordatis. Hort. Cliff. 
3 3 6. Sifymbrium with declining pods , and winged leaves 
whofe lobes are almofl heart-flhaped. Nafturtium aqua- 
ticum fupinum. C. B. P. 104. Water Crefs. 
2. Sisymbrium ( Sylveftre ) filiquis declinatis, foliis pin- 
natis, foliolis lanceolatis ferratis. Hort. Cliff. 336. 
Sifymbrium %mth declining pods , and winged leaves having 
fpear-flhaped fawed lobes. Eruca paluftris, nafturtii fo- 
lio, filiqua oblonga. C. B. P. 95. Marflh Rocket with 
a Crefs leaf and a long pod. 
3. Sisymbrium ( Amphibium ) filiquis declinatis, oblon- 
go-ovatis, foliis pinnatifidis ferratis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 
657. Sifymbrium with oblong , oval , declining pods, and 
wing-pointed fawed leaves. Raphanus aquaticus, foliis 
in profundas lacinias divifis. C. B. P. 97. Water Ra- 
diflj with leaves deeply cut. 
4. Sisymbrium ( Aquaticum ) foliis fimplicibus dentatis 
ferratis. Llort. Cliff. 336. Sifymbrium with Jingle , in- 
dented, fawed leaves. Raphanus aquaticus alter. C.B. P. 
97. Another Water Radiflh. 
5. Sisymbrium ( Polyceratium ) filiquis axillaribus feffili- 
bus fubulatis aggregatis, foliis repando-dentatis. 
Hort. Upfal. 193. Sifymbrium with awl-flloaped pods in 
clufters fitting clofe to the fllalks , and indented leaves 
which turn backward. Eryfimum polyceration vel cor- 
nieulatum. C. B. P. 101. Many-podded or horned Hedge 
Muftard. 
6. Sisymbrium ( Sophia ) petalis calyce minoribus, foliis 
decompofito-pinnatis. Flor. Suec. Sifymbrium with 
petals fmaller , than the empalement, and decompounded 
winged leaves. Eryfimum fophiae dictum. Raii Syn. 
Ed. 3.- p. 298. Hedge Muftard, called Sophia or Flix- 
weed. 
7. Sisymbrium ( Altiflfmum ) foliis runcinatis flaccidis, 
foliolis fublinearibus integerrimis, pedunculis laxis. 
Hort. Upfal. 193. Sifymbrium with fpear, wing-pointed , 
flaccid leaves, having linear entire lobes with loofe floot- 
ftalks. Rapiftrum Italicum filiquis longiflimis. C.B.P. 
95. Italian Charlock with very long pods. 
8. Sisymbrium ( Irio ) foliis runcinatis dentatis, nudis 
caule ltevi ereftis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 659. Sifymbrium 
with fpear-flhaped, winged, indented leaves , and erebl 
pods. Eryfimum latifolium, majus glabrum C. B. 
P. 1 3 1 . Smooth , greater , broad-leaved Hedge Muftard. 
9. Sisymbrium ( Stridlijfmum ) foliis lanceolatis dentato- 
ferratis cauiinis. Hort. Cliff. 337. Sifymbrium with 
fpear-flhaped, winged, indented leaves on the fllalks. Llef- 
peris lutea, filiquis ftrictiffimis. Tourn. Inft. 222. 
Tellow Rocket with clofied pods. 
The firft fort is the common Water Crefs, which 
grov/s naturally in ditches and rills of water in moil 
parts of England. The roots of this plant are com- 
pofed of a great number of long fibres, which fallen 
themfelves to the mud at the bottom of the ditches, 
from which arife feveral ftalks garnifhed with winged 
leaves, cornpofed of five or fix pair of lobes, which, 
are roundifh and almoft heart-fhaped, terminated by 
an odd one ; thefe ftand almoft alternate along the 
midrib. The ftalks rife a foot and a half high j they 
are hollow, channelled, and divide at the cop into 
two or three branches, which are terminated by loofe 
fpikes of fmall white flowers, compofed of four petals 
placed in form of a croft ; thefe appear the beginning 
of June, and are fucceeded by taper pods filled with 
fmall brown feeds which ripen in July. 
This plant has of late years been generally ufed as a 
fallad herb in the fpring of the year, and is by many 
preferred to all other forts of fallads for the agreeable 
warm bitter tafte, and, being accounted an excellent 
remedy for the fctirvy, and to cleanfe the blood, as 
alfo a good diuretic, it has greatly obtained a prefe- 
rence to moft other herbs for winter and fpring ufe 
with moft people. This is generally gathered in the 
ditches, and in other (landing waters near London, to 
fupply the markets ; but whoever has a mind to cul- 
tivate it may eafily do it, by taking fome of the plants 
from the places of their natural growth early in the 
fpring, being careful to preferve their roots as entire 
as poffible, and plant them into mud, and then let 
the water in upon them by degrees. When they have 
taken root, they will foon flourifh and fpread over a 
large compafs of water •, they fhould not be cut the 
firft feafon, but fuffered to run to feed, which will 
fall into the water, and furnifti a fufficient fupply of 
plants afterwards. 
But where the water is fo deep that it will not be 
eafy to plant them, the beft method will be to get a 
quantity of the plants juft as their feeds are ripening, 
and throw them on the furface of the water where 
they are defigned to grow, and their feeds will ripen, 
and fall to the bottom, where they will take root, and 
produce a fupply of thefe plants. Thefe plants pro- 
duce feed in July, which is the proper time far this 
work. 
Some of thofe people who gather this herb for ufe, 
either through ignorance, or fome worfe defign, 
have frequently taken the creeping Water Parfnep 
and fold it for Water Crefs, whereby many perfons 
have fuffered who have eaten it ; -therefore thofe 
who make ufe of Water Crefs, fhould be careful to 
have the right plant j they may be eafily diftinguifh- 
ed by the fhape of their leaves, thofe of the Water 
Crefs having roundifh, almoft heart-fhaped fmall 
leaves or lobes, with a few indentures on their edges, 
and are of a dark green colour, but thofe of the Wa- 
ter Parfnep have oblong lobes ending irrpoints ; they 
are of a light green, and fawed on their edges. 
The fecond fort grows naturally on the borders of the 
river Thames, and in fome other parts of England. 
The leaves of this fort are longer than thofe of the 
firft ; the lobes are much narrower, and are fawed on 
their edges ; the flowers ftand upon longer foot-ftalks, 
and are much fmaller. This fpreads and multiplies 
in the fame manner as the firft. 
The third and fourth forts grow naturally on the banks 
of the Thames, and in ditches in many parts of Eng- 
land, fo are not admitted into gardens. 
The fifth fort grows naturally in the fouth of France 
and Italy it is an annual plant, whofe ftalks fpread 
and decline toward the ground ; they grow a foot 
long, and divide into many branches, which are 
garniflied with lrnooth leaves fhaped like the point 
of a halbert, deeply finuated on their borders, and 
indented, whofe indentures turn backward. The 
flowers come out in clufters at the wings of the ftalk - t 
they are fmall, yellow, and are fucceeded by (lender 
crooked pods ftand ing in clufters ; they appear in 
June and July, and the feeds ripen in Augufl and 
September. 
* 
The 
