CRUCIFERZ. * 423 
BRASSICA JUNCEA, Hf. and T. 
Fig.—Jacq. Vind., t 171. ‘Indian mustard (Eng.), 
_ Moutarde rouge (F'r.). The seeds. : 
Hab.—Cultivated univergally. 
j - Vernacular—B. campestris, Surson (Hind.), Sherus (Mar. E 
_ Sarasava (Guz.), Sasave ,(Can.). Other varieties, Rai (Hind 
Guz.), Kadugu (Tam.), Avélu (Tel.), Mohari sesonh oF 
History, Uses, &c.—One of the Sanskrit names for mus- 
tard is Astiri or “the sorceress,’ because witches are detected 
y means of mustard oil. By lamplight several cups are filled 
with water and the oil dropped in, each cup bears the name of 
ne of the suspected women in the village, and if during the 
eerémony they observe that the oil takes the form of a woman 
_in any of the cups, they conclude that the person whosename is 
‘that cup isa witch. Mustard is also symbolic of fecundity ; ; 
the story of Gul-i-Bakawli, the nymph Bakawli is born 
m seed grown upon the site of her disappearance. Mustard 
mentioned by Greek writers as yérv and sun, and appears to 
ave been used by them as a medicine.* There is reason 
to suppose that the Romans used it as @ condiment and 
medicine. Cf. Pliny 19, 54 and 20, 87, who mentions three 
arieties. Fée identifies the slender-stemmed mustard of that 4 
riter with the Sinapis alba of Linnzeus, the mustard mentioned _ 
S having the leaves of rape he considers to be the Sinapis — 
igra, and that with the leaf of the rocket, the Sinapis 
rucoides of Linneus. Sanskrit writers call mustard seeds 
referred on account of their greater pungency as rubefac 
nd for internal administration. The expressed oil 
— * Dios. 2, 143. ; 
t a ae of commerce 
