98 CRUCIFEROUS PLANTS. 
XVI—THE CRUCIFEROUS PLANTS 
AND THEIR ALLIES. 
We pass from the series of plants last considered readily to 
another group of orders, which shows division of the flowers 
almost constantly quaternary, not as in the majority of dicotyled- 
onous plants quinary; the placentation of the seeds is likewise 
not axillary, but more in accordance with that of the Violacee, 
Sundews and Pittosporacee. It is the great order of Cru- 
ciferee, which prominently 
claims here our attention. 
The name is well devised, 
inasmuch as overathousand 
cruciferous plants hitherto 
known have with rare ex- 
ceptions their four petals 
placed in such a manner, as 
toexhibit the form of across. 
Cabbage, Mustard, Cresses, 
Wallflowers, Stock, Turnips 
and Radish are well known 
examples of this class of 
plants. They are compa- 
ratively largely represented 
in our colony, although they 
arealmost absent in the vast 
expanse of intratropic Aus- 
tralia. Irrespective of se- 
veral immigrated weeds we 
count in this colony thirty- 
two truly indigenous Cruci- 
feree. One of these is illus- 
trated, Erysimum lasiocar- 
MeN pum, Fig. XLVIL., to serve 
Fic. XLVII.—(Erysimum lasiocarpum).— a ere ital 
a, complete flower ; 4, stamens and pistil; all as a guidance to the recogni- 
magnified ; ¢, fruit, natural size. tion of such kinds of plants. 
Fie. XLVII. 
