Alyssum. XIII. CRUCIFER^. 163 



5. COCHLEARIA. Tourn. 



Lat. cochlear, a spoon ; refering to the concave leaves. 



Calyx equal at base, spreading ; petals entire ; stamens without 

 teeth ; silicle sessile, oblong or ovoid-globose, with ventricose valves ; 

 seeds many, not margined ; 0=. — Fls. white. 



1. C. Armoracia. Horse Radish. — i?aa^zcaZ Zrs. oblong, crenate ; caxdmelong, 

 lanceolate, dentate or incised, sessile ; sUicle elliptic. — % A common garden 

 herb, native of Europe. Root fleshy, large, white, very acrid. Stem 2 — 3f 

 high, angular, smooth, branching. Radical leaves near a foot long, \ as wide, 

 on long, channeled petioles. Lower stem-leaves often cut in a pinnatifid 

 manner, upper toothed or entire. Flowers small, in corymbose racemes. The 

 root is a well known condiment for roast beef and other viands. Jn. 



/?. aquatica. (C. aquatica. Eaton and 1st edit.) Lis. all pinnatifid, the 

 lower ones doubly and finely so. Wet places, often submerged.^ 



2. C. OFFICINALIS. Scurvy Grass. — Radical Ivs. cordate, petiolate, cauline 

 ovate, angular or dentate ; silicles oval-globose, half as long as the pedicel. — 

 % Native of Europe and of Arctic Am. Stem 8 — 12' high. Root leaves 4 — 18' 

 long, i as wide. Flowers racemed. Occasionally cultivated for its powerful 

 antiscorbutic properties. Jn. 



6. SUBULARIA. 



Named in reference to the linear-subulate leaves. 



Silicle oval, valves turgid, cells many-seeded ; stigma sessile ; coty- 

 ledons linear, curved. — (D Aquatic^ acaulescent herbs. 

 S. AauATiCA. Aidimrt. 



A small plant growing on the muddy shores of ponds in Maine, Nuit., 

 and near the White Mts., Pickering. Leaves all radical, entire, subulate, an 

 inch in length. Scape 2 — 3' high, racemose, with a few minute, white flowers, 

 on slender pedicels only 2" in length. Jl. 



7. CAMELlNA. Crantz. 



Gr. ^ajiai, dwarf; \ivov, flax. 



Calyx equal at base ; petals entire ; silicle obovate or subglobose, 

 with ventricose valves and many-seeded cells ; styles filiform, persis- 

 tent ; seeds oblong, striate, not margined, || . 



C. SATivA. Crantz. (Myagrum. Linn.) Gold-of-plcas\irc. False Flax. 



Lvs. lanceolate, sagittate at base, subentire ; silicle obovate-p\Tiform, mar- 

 gined, tipped with the pointed style. — (T) In cultivated fields. Stem H — 2;^ f. 

 high, straight, erect, branching. Leaves roughish, 1— 2' long, clasping the 

 stem with their acute, arrow-.shaped lobes. Flowers small, yellow, in panicii- 

 lated racemes. Silicles 2—3'' long, on pedicels 2—3 times as long.— Said to 

 be cultivated in Germany for the oil which is expressed from the seeds. Jn.^ 



8. ALYSSUM. 



Gr. a. privative; "Xvaaa, rage; supposed by the ancients to allay anger. 



Calyx equal at base; petals entire; some of the stamens with 

 teeth ; silicle orbicular or oval, with valves flat or convex in the cen- 

 tre ; seeds 1 — 4 in each cell. 



1. A. SAXATir.K. Rock Alyssum. Madwori. — St. sufil-utico-se at base, subco- 

 rj'mbose; Zrs. lanceolate, entire, downy ; silicic ovate-orbicular, 2-seedcd; sds. 

 margined. — An early-flowering garden perennial, native ol Candia. Stem If 

 high, with numerous yellow flowers in clo.se corymbo.se bunches. Apr. May.f 



2. A. MARiTiMi-M. Lam. Suxct Alyssum. — St. suflrutico.se and procumbent 

 at base; lvs. lincar-lanccolate, acute,' somewhat hoary; pods oval, smooth. — 

 % A .sweet-scented garden plant, with fine leaves and small white flowers. 

 Stem a foot in length. Flowers Irom Jn. to Oct.— All the species of Alyssuin 

 are of easy culture in common loamy soils, -j- 



