BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA, 277 
plant arises to the height of 1 or2 feet, adorned 
with lyrate and pinnatifid leaves. Flowers 
yellow, and larger than those of the Sinapis : 
Niger, and in theshapeofacross. Pods bristly 
and spreading. about an inch long, and contain- 
ing from 4 to 6 yellowish seeds, almost globular 
in form and about ;'; of an inch (2 millimeters) 
in diameter. The testa of the seed is pitted in 
a vein-like manner, but so delicately that it ap- 
pears smooth to the naked eye, but under a glass 
of one or two diameters the reticulation can be 
seen plainly. The mustard seed has little or no 
odor, but a very decided, pungent and acrid 
taste. The mustard contains ol, mucilage, 
sinalbin myrosin, sugar, sinapina’ in form 
of a sulphate, and acrinyl sulphocyanide, which 
latter ingredient is an acrid, fixed oil according 
to some authors, while others ‘assert that it is 
volatile, and bears the same relation to the 
White Mustard that the oil of mustard. does to 
the black seed, the name is of uncertain origin, 
but the word brassica, which is applied to the 
order, is of Celtic derivation. 
Sinapis Niger, Brassica, Nigre, Black, 
Brown or Red Mustard.—Natural order Cruci- 
ferze Siliquose. Native of Asia and southern 
Europe and cultivated. This annual plant at- 
tains the height of 1 or 2 feet, and adorned with 
pinnatifid leaves, lyrate in shape; flowers yel- 
low, and smaller than those of the White Mus- 
tard. Pods smooth and erect, and are closely 
pressed against the axis of the long raceme, 
thus differing from its fellow. The seeds are 
about one-half the size of the White Mustard 
and not more than ,/; of an inch (1 millimeter) 
