PLANT NAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS— XVI 



THE CRUCIFERAE 



By WiLLARD N. ClUTR 



'T^ H\\ fifteen liuiidrecl or more species (»t Cruciteriic t\>nn 

 ■■• ;i very distinct and characteristic group. So nearly 

 alike are the flowers of the (hfTcrent species, that the botan- 

 ist finds them practically useless for classification and is 

 obliged to resort in most cases to seed characteristics for a 

 satisfactory differentiation of his specimens. The flowers 

 are peculiar for having four instead of five parts in each 

 whorl. The stamens however, are six in number and con- 

 sist of two whorls, one of four and one of two stamens, the 

 latter somewhat longer than the others. In the majority of 

 the Cruciferae the petals si)read out in the form of a cross 

 and from this circumstance the family name, which means 

 "cross-bearers," is derived. The species are commonly called 

 cresses but contrary to the general assumption the word cress 

 is not derived from cross. The family is occasionally known 

 as the Brassicaceae, a name founded on the genus to which 

 the cabbage belongs but Cruci ferae is a very oUI name and 

 almost universally used. 



Nearly all the plants of this group are characterized by 

 a pungent juice which has made them valued as pot-herbs or 

 condiments. None of the .species is poisonous but many are 

 f)ractically inedible because of an unsavory taste. The genus 

 Vasfiirfiuiii, to which the horse-radish belongs, is typical of 

 these pungent herbs and is properly named from the T.atin 

 iiasiis tortus which is Htcrallv "nose twister." Cordauiinc is 



