LANDMARKS OF BOTANICAL HISTORY — GREENE 251 



fruit of Isatis had said that "within the pouch there is a seed";^ 

 and here Tragus' powerful rival, Fuchsius, by plagiarizing Dios- 

 corides' whole account of Isatis had been right about its fruit and 

 its one seed.^ It seems not improbable that a man as keen of 

 botanical vision as Tragus, had been relying on other people's 

 statements when he wrote that pouch and seed are here one and the 

 same. 



With the exception of these two, Camelina and Isatis, Tragus* 

 comprehension of the group of crucifers appears to have been com- 

 plete; and this will become still more manifest by an item of his 

 taxonomic procedure still to be adduced. Fuchsius, as was related 

 in the preceding chapter, guided by superficial resemblances 

 in purely vegetative characters, and wholly inattentive to their 

 small flowers and fruits, had received a hedge mustard and a small 

 flowered vervain as members of one genus which he called Verbena. 

 To Tragus this misplaced plant is so plainly of the mustard alliance 

 that he becomes impatient of his rival's blunder. "This thing is 

 about as much like a verbena as a nettle is like a rosemary bush. 

 I could wish that none should be displeased with me for saying this ; 

 but I am aware there are some who will take it much to heart that 

 I have transferred their Verbena fcemina to the category of the 

 mustards, and judge me rashly for having done so. But it was 

 reason that compelled me to this course, when I perceived the plant 

 by its whole substance and flavor to be at accord with Sinapis."^ 

 Though he names the texture and flavor of the herbage as the 

 reason, that is because it is the one which will appeal to most people, 

 those into whose minds anthological considerations do not enter. 

 It is none the less presumable that the diminutively mustard-like 

 flowers, along with the pods and seeds so concordant therewith, 

 first led Tragus to investigate the qualities of the plant. 



Some twenty-six species of crucifers all told are described by 

 Tragus. That is probably three times as many as may be found in 

 any author earlier than he, except Fuchsius, who allows them to be 

 scattered about according to the alphabetic order of their Greek 

 names, and nowhere gives expression to a thought about their 

 affinities. And Tragus, inasmuch as he plainly discloses his 

 recognition of their consanguinity, except in the case of two species 

 both of them anomalous, ought to be accredited as the first dis- 

 coverer, so to speak, of this important and taxonomically interesting 



» Diosc, Book ii, ch. 180. 

 * Fuchs, Hist. Stirp., p. 330. 

 » Stirp. Cotnm., p. 104. 



