Sisymbrium Nasturtium 
SISYMBRIUM Lin. Gen. PI. Tet RADYNAMIA SlLIQUOSA. 
Silicula dehifcens valvulis re&iufculis. Cal. patens. Cor. patens. 
Raii Syn. Gen. 21. Herb.e tetrapetal^e siliquosas et siliculos.e. 
SISYMBRIUM Najlurtium filiquis declinatis, foliis pinnatis, foliolis fubcordatis. Lin. Syjl. Vegetal, 
p. 594. Sp. PL 916. FI. Suec. n. 592. 
SISYMBRIUM foliis pinnatis, pinnis fubrotundis, brevibus racemis. Haller hijl. 482. 
SISYMBRIUM Najlurtium. Scopoli FI Carn. n. 821. 
NASTURTIUM aquaticum fupinum. Bauh. Pin. 104. 
SISYMBRIUM Cardamine, feu Nadurtium aquaticum. LB. II. 884. 
NASTURTIUM aquaticum vulgare. Park. 1329. 
NASTURTIUM aquaticum feu Cratevae fium. Ger. emac. 257. Raii Syn. p. 300. Water-Crelfes. 
Hudfon FI. Angi. ed. 2. p. 296. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 350. 
NASTURTIUM aquaticum foliis minoribus praecocius. Early flowering Water-ferefles with fmaller 
leaves. Raii Syn. 301. 
NASTURTIUM aquaticum pinnulis paucioribus. Raii Syn. p. 301. 
RADIX annua, fibrofiflima, fibris albidis. 
CAULES plures, ad bafin plerumque repentes, fub- 
erefli, pedales, bipedales et ultra, purpuraf- 
centes, angulofi, fulcati, ramofi, glabri, fif- 
tulofi. 
FOLIA caulina pinnata, femi-amplexicaulia, glabra, 
pinnis trium feu quatuor parium, oppofitis, 
ovatis, obtufis, fubemarginatis, obtufe den- 
tatis, feflilibus, externa rotundiore ad apicem 
faepe attenuata ; axillis radices agentibus ; 
radicalia omnia rotundiora. 
FLORES parvi, albi, numerofi, racemofi, racemis 
ere&is. 
PEDUNCULI primo erefli, demum patentes, fubde- 
clinati, filiquis breviores. 
CALYX: Perianthium 4-phyllum, foliolis ob- 
longis, concavis, obtufis, ereftis, flavefcenti- 
bus, Jig. 1. 
COROLLA: Petala 4, fubrotunda, alba, demum 
purpurafcentia, jig. 2. 
STAMINA: Filamenta 6, quorum duo breviora, 
primo ex albido virefcentia,demum purpurea; 
Anthers flavae, 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen teres, virefcens, tandem pur- 
pureum ; Stylus breviflimus, vix ullus ; 
Stigma capitatum, fig. 4. 
SILIQUyE unciales, furfum fubcurvatae, patentes, fub- 
declinatae feminibus protuberantibus turgida:. 
ROOT annual, extremely fibrous, fibres whitifli. 
STALKS numerous, ufually creeping at the bafe, 
nearly upright, a foot, two feet, or more, in 
height, purplilh, angular, grooved, branched, • 
fmooth, and hollow. 
LEAVES of the ftalk pinnated, half embracing the 
ftalk, fmooth, the pinnae or leaflets confi fil- 
ing of three or four pair, oppofite, ovate, 
obtufe, with a flight indentation at the end, 
bluntly toothed, feffile, the end leaflet rounder 
than the others, often running out to a point, 
the alze of the leaves putting forth roots, and 
all the radical leaves roundilh. 
FLOWERS final!, white, numerous, growing in ra- 
cemi which are upright. 
FLOWER-STALKS at firft upright, finally fpread- 
ing or a little depending, (horter than the 
pods. 
CALYX: a Perianthium of four leaves, which are 
oblong, concave, obtufe, upright, and yel- 
lowifh, Jig. i. 
COROLLA: 4 Petals, roundilh, white, finally of 
a purplifh hue. Jig. 2. 
STAMINA : 6 Filaments, of which two are (horter 
than the reft, at firft of a greenifh white co- 
lour, laftly purple ; Anthers yellow,^. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen round, greenifh, finally 
purple; Style very fhort, fcarce any; 
Stigma forming a little head, Jig. 4. 
SEED-PODS, about an inch in length, bent a little 
upwards, fpreading, (lightly depending, tur- 
gid with feeds which protuberate. 
% 
Mod people are acquainted with the leaves of the Water-crefs, few comparatively with the plant in flower ; 
to render their knowledge of it complete, we have reprefented it in both dates. 
It is a plant common not only to Europe but America, grows fpontaneoufly in rivulets and watery ditches, 
and flowers in June, July, and Augufl. 
It varies in its appearance from feveral caufes ; the leaves, if growing in the (hade, are of a green colour, 
if expofed to the fun, purplifh brown; they rarely vary in their (hape, yet we have feen inftances of their 
being confiderably elongated by growing in a dream where the current has been rapid; the alteration produced 
on the leaves of many other plants from the fame caufe, is well known to Botanids : in this date there is a 
poflibility that the leaves, by miftake, may be eaten for thofe of the creeping Water-parfnep (Sium nodiflorum) 
which ufually grows with it ; if by accident they (hould, no great danger is to be apprehended, as. there are 
no indances on record of that plant’s being poifonous ; to avoid, however, any alarm from fuch a circumftance, 
thofe who are in the praftice of eating Water-creffes, (hould obferve, that the leaves are nearly round, and 
that they have the crefs-like tade, the leaves of the Water-parfnep are not only long and pointed, but fawed 
on the edges, they are alfo of a much paler colour, and have a very different tade. 
Ray mentions two other fpecies of Water-crefs, which can only be confidered as mere local varieties. 
This 
