of the Genus Brassica. 189 



surpasses in the sweetness of its flavour the sweet Turnip, and 

 has not any of its acrid particles. We distinguish three va- 

 rieties of Navet by their colour : the White, alba, which is the 

 most common; the Yellow, ^arc, of a more delicate flavour; 

 and the Black, nigricans, the fleshy part of which is M'hite, 

 and the skin only of a blackish colour. 



Fifth Species. BRASSICA PRiECOX. 



The fifth, and last species of Cabbage here mentioned, and 

 unknown to botanists till lately, has long been cultivated by 

 different farmers in various parts of Europe ; it is called in the 

 Eastern provinces of France Navette d'Ete, Navette de Mai, 

 Navette qnnuclle, and in Germany, Kohl Reps, or Summer 

 Reps, which has the same signification as the French Navette 

 d'Ete ; it is distinguished from the preceding by its upright 

 seed-pod, which does not open when mature; from the 

 Brassica oleracea, by its expanding calyx, and from the Tm- 

 nip, by its glabrous leaves ; and, lastly, from them all, by its 

 precocity; it is usually sown in spring, and though it blos- 

 soms later than the Winter Navette, it has time to ripen in 

 the course of the year, -and is distinctly an annual, whereas 

 the two preceding varieties ripen their seed only in the second 

 year. 



This species was introduced into botanical gardens by 

 Messrs. Waldstein and Kitaibel, of Hungary, under the name 

 of Brassica prcecox, a name truly expressive of its nature, and 

 adopted by Messrs. Schultes* and Hornemannf. I have 

 since received from M. Nestler some specimens of it, accom- 

 panied with very intei'esting historical notes and descriptions: 

 he calls it Brassica striata, as expressive of its character: but 

 the prior claim of the Hungarian botanists, and the desire of 

 coming as near as possible to common practice, have induced 

 me to adopt their ap})ellation. " This plant," says M. Nest- 

 ler, " is often cultivated on hilly ground, where the Winter 

 Navette does not succeed ; as the seed is much smaller, its 

 produce scarcely exceeds one half of the latter; its seed is 

 lightly thrown into the ground, mixed with that of other plants, 

 such as Lettuces, &c. and requires more space than the Win- 

 ter Navette to produce a certain number of seed-pods, for if 

 confined for room it has scarcely any." 



" Near and about Strasbourg, however, it is less cultivated 

 than the other. Its seed is e(jually useful in the preparation 

 of oil, for no distinction is made between the oil of the Sum- 

 mer and the Winter Navette confounded together under the 



• Sduiltcs OIjs. 11.1010. f Ilorncniiimi Hvil. IIafn.\o\. ii. pngc621. 



name 



