Penny-Cress. 
Thlaspi Arvense. 
THT ASPI Lin Gen. PL Tetradynamia Silicolosa. 
SUieuU emarginata, obbata, pCyfpe-. valvul, nav.cu.anbu, ma, 
ginato-carinatis. 
Raii Syn. Gen. 21. Herb* Tetrapetal* Siliquos* et Sil c 
THLASPI arvenfe filiculis orbiculatis, foliis oblongis dentatis glabris. Lzn. Syjl. Veget, ed. 14* A 5^7- 
Spec. PL 901. FI. Suec. 574. 
NASTURTIUM filiquis orbiculati,, plani,, folii, oblongi,, dentatis, glabri, Hali. HJl. S 1 U 
THLASPI arvenfe. Scop. FI. Carn. n. Sio. 
THLASPI arvenfe filiquis latis. Bauh. p. 105. , 
RADIX annua, fufiformis, fubramofa, lignofa, al- 
bida. 
CAULIS pedalis et ultra, ereftus, multangulus, tere- 
tiufculus, fuperne ramofus, ramis paucis, 9 
caule brevioribus, ereftis, fubarcuatis. | 
, <> 
FOLIA alterna, oblonga, obtuliulcula, remote den- <j 
tata, dentibus apice albidis, bafi fagittata, ^ 
fupra viridia, fubtus glaucefcentia. | 
FLORES racemofi, parvi. . A 
PEDUNCULI alterni, fere horizontales, umflori. 
CALYX: Perianthiom tetraphyllum foliolis 
ovatis, concavis, acutiufculis, margine alba, 
membranacea, jig. i. 
COROLLA: Petala 4, calyce duplo longiora, re- 
tufa, alba, jig. 2. au&./g. 3. 
STAMINA: Filamenta fex, fubulata, albida, duo 
breviora. Anther* flavas, minutte,j%. 4. 
auft. Jig. 6. 
PISTILLUM : Germen rotundatum ; Stylus bre- 
viflimus ; Stigma obtufum,/t>-. 5- au H- A? - 7* 
PERICARPIUM: Silicula pedunculi longitudine, 
latiflima, orbicularis, profunde emarginata, 
medio utrinque convexiufcula, ad latera 
alata, compreffa, bilocularis, Jig. 8, 10. 
SEMINA utrinque 4 ad 9, fub-compreffa, fuborbicu- 
laria, parallele lineata, glabra, rufa, jig. 12. 
DISSEPIMENTUM lanceolatum, acutum,/?- 11. 
VALVULAE naviculares,/?. 9. 
ROOT annual, tapering, fomewhat branched, woody, 
and whitifh. 
STALK a foot or more in height, upright, multangu- 
lar roundilh, above branched, the branches 
few, Ihorter than the ftalk, upright, bending 
a little inwards. 
LEAVES alternate, oblong, a little blunt, diftantly 
toothed, the teeth whitifh at the tip ; arrow- 
fhaped at the bafe, above green, beneath 
fomewhat glaucous. 
FLOWERS fmall, growing in racemi. . 
FLOWER-STALKS alternate, nearly horizontal, 
one-flower’d. 
CALYX : a Perianthium of four leaves, the leaves 
ovate, concave, fomewhat pointed, the edge 
white, and membranous, Jig. 1. 
COROLLA : 4 Petals, twice the length of the ca- 
lyx, very flightly notched at the end, and 
white, jig. 2. magnified, jig. 3. 
STAMINA: Six Filaments, tapering, whitilh, two 
Ihorter than the reft ; Anther* yellow and 
minute ; jig. 4. magn. jig. 6 . 
PISTILLUM: Germen rounded; Style very 
fhort ; Stigma obtufe. Jig. 5. magn .Jig. 7. 
SEED-VESSEL : a Silicule the length of the 
flower-ftalk, very broad, orbicular, deeply 
notched, a little convex in the middle on 
each fide, the fides winged and flat, bilo- 
cular, jig. 8, 10. 
SEEDS in each cell from 4 to 9, fomewhat flattened, 
and orbicular, marked with parallel lines, 
fmooth, of a reddilh brown colour, jig. 12. 
PARTITION lanceolate, pointed, fig. 11. 
! VALVES boat-Ihaped, fig. 9. 
The Thla/pi arvenfe is fcarcely entitled to a place in the Flora Londinenfis, as we have only feen a few acci- 
dental plants of it growing near the Spaniards , Hampfiead- Heath. 
Ray informs us, that it is found in the fields about Worming ford in Ejfex plentifully, as alfo at St. Ofyth 
in Tendrino- Hundred, at Stone in Stajfordjhirc, and Saxmundham in Suffolk ; to thefe habitats we may add, 
on the authority of Dr. Goodenough, Broughton Pogges in Oxfordjliire, in the corn fields near which it is 
found in abundance. 
It flowers the beginning of June, and the feeds are ripe by the end of the month ; hence they are not liable 
to mix and be ground with our corn, to the flower of which they might communicate the tafte of garlic, which 
the plant is faid to give to the milk of fuch cattle as feed on it. 
It is obvioufly diftinguilhed, as Ray has obferved, from all our plants of the fame genus, by its fmoothncfs, 
and large flat round pods, whence it has very properly been called Penny-crefis : Haller judicioufly obferves, 
that the true feed-veflel is in the centre, and that it owes its extraordinary breadth to winged appendages, which 
Tournefort has admirably well exprefled. 
The feeds are faid to produce twice as much oil as linfeed. 
This fpecies and the Thlafpi Campe.Jlre are ufed indifcriminately in medicine ; the feeds, more efpecially thofe 
of the prefent plant, have an acrid biting tafte, approaching to that of the common muftard, with which they 
agree nearly in their pharmaceutical properties, their pungent matter being totally extrafted by water, only 
partially by re£lified fpirit, and being elevated by water in diftillation. They have joined to their acrimony 
an unpleafant flavour, fomewhat of the garlic or onion kind, and this they give out to fpirituous as well as 
watery menftrua ; they are rarely made ufe of any otherwife than as ingredients in the compofitions whofe names 
they bear, though fome recommend them in different difeafes preferably to the common muftard. Lewis 
M. Med. 647. 
