THALAMIFLOKJE. 443 



of the Redeemer, and paid homage to His resurrection by remaining ex- 

 panded till Easter." 



Ai-moracia rusttcaiia {Cochlearia Armoracia). — The root is the common 

 horse-radish, so much used as a condiment. Some lamentable cases of 

 poisoning have occurred from the substitution of Aconite or Monk's-hood root 

 for that of Horse-radish, which it is supposed to resemble. Fresh Horse- 

 radish is also used in medical practice : externaUy, as an iiTitant, rubefacient, 

 and vesicant ; and internallii, as a stimulant, diuretic, and masticatory. Its 

 virtues depend upon the presence of a small quantity of volatile oil, which is 

 almost dissipated by drying ; hence Horse-radish should always be used in a 

 fi-esh state. 



Brassica.— This genus contains several species which are commonly culti- 

 vated as food for man and cattle. Thus : — Brassica Eapa is the common 

 Turnip. The Swedish Turnip is probably a hybrid between Brassica 

 campesiris and B. Rapa or Napus, but according to some, it is derived from 

 B. campestris. B. Aapus yields Rape, Cole, or Colza-seeds, fi'om which may be 

 expressed a large quantity of bland fixed oil, which is now much employed 

 for burning and other puiposes. The cake left after the expression of the oil 

 is also used as food for cattle, &c., under the name of Oil-Cake. The seeds of 

 B. chinensis yield Shanghae Oil. B. olei-acea is supposed to be the original 

 species from which have been derived, by cultivation, all the varieties of 

 Cabbages. Kohl Rabi, Greens, Brocoli, and Cauliflowers. The Kohl-Rabi is 

 produced by the stem enlarging above the ground into a fleshy knob, re- 

 sembling a turnip. Brocoli and Caiihflowers are deformed inflorescences. 



Camelina sativa, Gold of Pleasure. — The seeds contain much fixed oil, 



Cardamine pratensis, Cuckoo-flower. — The flowers were formerly much 

 used for their stimulant and diaphoretic properties, and have long been a 

 popular remedy for epilepsy in cliildi-en. 



Cochlearia officinalis. Scurvy-grass. —This plant was long esteemed for 

 its antiscorbutic properties. 



Cra/nbe maritima, Sea-Kale. — The stem and leaf -stalks of this plant, by 

 cultivation under diminished light, form a deUcious vegetable. In the ^vild 

 state the plant possesses a good deal of acridity, but this is almost entirely re- 

 moved by cultivation. 



Isatis tinctoria, "Woad. — This herb yields a dark-blue dye, which was for- 

 merly much used in this country and other parts of Eiurope, but it is now 

 rarely or never employed, its use having been superseded by Indigo, In China 

 also, a blue dye is obtained from the fruits of /satis indigotica. 

 ■ Levidium sativum. Garden Cress.— This is well knoA\Ti as a pimgent salad ; 

 it is commonly used with the seedlings of the Mustard plants. 



Nasturtium officinaIe.~Th\s plant is the common Water-cress, so well 

 known as an excellent and wholesome salad. It has been lately highly 

 spoken of as a remedial agent in the treatment of cachectic diseases. 



Raphanus sativus. — This is the common Radish so much employed as a 

 salad, Sac. The siUques of Raphanus caudatus, when about half-gi-own, are 

 good as a boiled vegetable ; and in a still younger state, they form an agree- 

 able salad, having a mild radish-Uke flavour. 



Sinapis.—1:h.e seeds of two species of this genus are in common use in 

 medicine and for culinary purposes, and the seedliugs are also employed as 

 salads. These species are, Sinapis nigra and ^. alba. The seeds of the 

 former are dark-coloin-ed, and are kno\vn as Black Mustard seeds ; those of 

 the latter are of a yellowish colour, and are termed "White llustard seeds. 

 It was formerly supposed, that flour of mustard, so extensively used as a 

 condiment, was derived solely from black mustard seeds, but it is now 

 known to be prepared fi'om a mixture of commonly two parts of black 

 and three of white mustard seeds. Both the black and white mustard seeds 

 contain a large quantity of fixed oil, which is readily obtained by submitting 

 them to pressure ; this'expressed oil is caUed fixed oU of mustard. It is i-e- 

 markable that we do not find in either the black or white seeds the pungent 

 acrid principle for which mustard is distingitished. But when black mustard 

 seeds are distUled with water, they yield a very acrid and pungent volatile 

 oil, on which their virtues depend. The elements of tuis oil only, exist in 



