CRUCIFEIl.T".. 23 



oblongo-lanL-eolate, acuminate, concave, puberulous. Sepals 

 obovato-oblong, shortly subacnniinate with the apex blunt, 

 concave, externally sanguineo-purpurescent, caducous. Stamens 

 12, or more frequently 16: filaments finely capillary : anthers 

 linear. Alibastrum ovate. Pulp, in which the base of the seed 

 is immersed, of a cinnabar colour. 



This plant is indigenous to all the West India Islands. It 

 gi'ows in waste places, and in land which lias been partially 

 cultivated. All parts of the plant, especially previous to flower- 

 ing, abound with a yellow juice ; and Barham supposes that, 

 from its resembling tiie common Celandine in this respect, it has 

 received the same name. According to Hernandez, the Indian 

 kings cultivated it in their gardens ; but for what purpose, it is 

 difficult to imagine, as, though a handsome plant, and of a 

 rather remarkable appearance, its flowers have no pretensions 

 to beauty. Tiie juice is acrid and bitter, and, like that of the 

 Gamboge thistle, has been employed in cases of chronic Ophthal- 

 mia. The expressed juice of the root has also been made use 

 of in similar cases, and to remove wai'ts and fungous flesh, and 

 as an application for tetters and ring-worm. The root scraped 

 and beat up into a pulp, is an excellent application to foul ulcers. 

 From the colour of the root, it commonly receives the name of 

 the Wild Carrot. 



/^ 



Icyy 



ORDER XI. CRUCIFERtE 



Perigoiiium double, hypogynoiis. , Calyx of 4 

 sepals, cruciate. Petals 4, cruciate, alternate with the 

 sepals. Stamens 6, of which 2 are shorter, solitary, 

 and opposite to the lateral sepals ; 4 longer, in pairs, 

 opposite to the anterior and the posterior sepals. 

 Disk with various green glandules between the petals 

 and the stamen and ovary. Ovary unilocular, 1- 

 styled. Fruit a siliquc. Seeds exalbuminose : 

 embryo curved, with the cotyledons folded over the 

 radicle. 



Herbaceous plants, annual, biennial, or perennial, very sel- 

 dom suflVuticose : leaves alternate ; flowers usually yellow or 

 white, seldom purple. The species comprised in this order, 

 are, according to De Candolle, 900 in number, of which he has 

 had opportunities of examining 800. There are only two 



