CRUCIFERE. 
horse-radish, and in the leaves of Lepidium latifolium which ad- 
ministered act powerfully upon the gastric organs, or applied ex- 
ternally inflame the skin and operate nearly as severely as blis- 
ters. A slighter degree of acrimony is found in the scurvy-grass, 
and the roots of the garden-radish, &c. and these therefore 
operate more gently and perhaps more safely when eaten, and 
scarcely at all when applied to the skin. Whatever may be the 
degree of acrimony in these plants, they all appear when eaten to 
produce some specific action upon the digestive organs, and thence 
upon scorbutic humours, for which reason the horse-radish, 
nater-cress, garden-radishes, and even cabbages are eminently 
anti-scorbutic. They are also admitted by physicians as diuretic, 
sialogogue, and diaphoretic. It is only when the acrid principle 
is diffused over a considerable quantity of fleshy and watery sub- 
stance that cruciferous plants become eatable, as in the leaves and 
stems of cabbages, cauliflowers, and sea-kale, and in the roots of 
radishes and turnips. It is to be remarked that cruciferous plants 
are always eatable when their texture is succulent and watery. 
Even in these plants the proportion of acrid principle is much di- 
minished by exclusion from light. Plants of this order are also 
remarkable for containing a greater quantity of azote than most 
vegetables, for which reason ammonia is generally evolved in their 
fermentation or putrefaction, to which circumstance it is possible 
that the two remarkable phenomena are to be attributed, viz. 
that cruciferous plants contain a greater portion of nutritive 
matter than most herbaceous plants, and that they require either 
a very rich soil, manured with animal substance, or at least a 
situation near the habitation of men. The embryos of all these 
plants are filled with oil, and the seeds of Camelina sativa, Brassi- 
ca campéstris, var. oleifera, some species of Rocket, &c. are culti- 
vated in many parts of Europe for the sake of their expressed 
oil, which is used either for culinary purposes or for lamps. 
(Decandolle, syst. 2. p. 143 and 144.) 
Synopsis of the Genera. 
Suzorper I. PLEURORHI- 
ZEZ. D.C. syst. 2. p. 146. 
prod. 1. p. 132, 
Cotyledons flat, accumbent (f. 
46.c. f. 45. g.) Radicle lateral 
(f. 45. h. g. d.). Seeds compressed 
(f. 46. g. ha. 
FIG. 45. 
Tre I. 
i Anas ex or PLEURORHIZEÆ®. Siliquise. D.C. syst. 2. p. 
46. prod. 1. p. 132. 
Pie i dehiscent, with a linear dissepiment, which is, more or 
al than the seeds ( f. 46. b.). Seeds oval, compressed, 
dh Y margined. Cotyledons flat, accumbent (f. 46. c. f. 45. g. 
`) parallel with the dissepiment. 
1 Marurora. Silique somewhat cylindrical. Stigmas con- 
147 
nivent, thickened or horned on the back (f. 48. b.). Calyx 
besaccate at the base. 
2 Cueira’ntuvus. Silique terete or compressed. Stigma 2- 
lobed or capitate. Calyx besaccate at the base. 
3 Nastu’rtium. Silique rather terete, short, or declinate. 
Stigma somewhat 2-lobed. Calyx equal at the base, spreading. 
4 Leprocarrz'a. Silique rather terete, very slender. Stigma 
sessile, 2-lobed. Calyx spreading, equal. 
5 Noro’ceras. Silique tetragonally 2-edged; each valve 
ending in a mucrone or horn at the top (f. 46. a.). 
6 BARBARE a. Silique tetragonally 2-edged ; valves without 
a mucrone or horn at the top. Calyx equal at the base. 
Silique oblong, few-seeded, narrowed between 
Calyx 
7 STEVE NIA. 
the seeds (f. 46. b.); valves flat, somewhat torulose. 
bisaccate at the base. 
8 Bra'ya. Silique oblong, somewhat cylindrical, with flattish 
valves and a sessile stigma. Seeds few, ovate. Calyx equal at 
the base. Cotyledons perhaps incumbent. 
9 Turrrris. Silique linear ; valves flat. Seeds in 2 rows in 
each cell. 
10 A’rasis. Silique linear ; valves flat, with a nerve in the 
middle of each. Seeds in one row in each cell. 
11 Oupne'ya. Silique sessile, linear, beaked ; valves flat, 
with a nerve in the middle. Seeds in 1 row. Stigmas connate, 
distinct at the top. Calyx closed, bisaccate at the base. 
12 Macroro'prum. Silique linear, stalked ; valves flat, with 
a nerve in the middle. 
13 Carpa’mine. Silique linear ; valves flat, nerveless, usually 
separating with elasticity. Umbilical cord slender. 
14 Preronevu'rum. Silique lanceolate; valves flat, nerveless, 
usually separating with elasticity. Placentas with nerved wings. 
Umbilical cord dilated. 
15 Denra‘ria.  Silique lanceolate ; valves flat, nerveless, 
usually separating with elasticity. Placentas not winged. Um- 
bilical cord dilated. 
16 Pa’rrya. Silique broad-linear ; valves flat, more or less 
distinctly veined. Seeds with broad margins, disposed in some- 
thing like 2 rows. Umbilical cord adnate to the dissepiment above. 
Lobes of stigma approximate. Calyx bigibbous at the base. 
True II, 
, / 
Anyss’NE& or Prevrornrzex Latise’pta, D. C. syst. 2. 
p. 147. prod. 1. p. 156. 
Silicle opening longitudinally ; dissepiment broad-oval, me 
U 2 
