PLOT A 59 



Ord. 12. CRUCI FERAE. The Cross-petalled family is a 

 very large one, and, unlike those already described, contains 

 no poisonous species. Many are of great value to mankind as 

 food, on account of the nitrogenous substances they contain, as, 

 for example, Mustard, Cress, Radish, Cabbage, Cauliflower, 

 Broccoli, Turnip. Representatives of the following tribes 

 will be found in the south-west beds of Plot A : 



i. Arabideae. Stocks, Wallflowers, and Rockets. Cheir- 



anthus mutabilis. 



ii. Sisymbrieae. Hedge-mustard, S. officinale. London 

 Rocket, S. trio, was so called because it sprang up 

 abundantly over London after the Great Fire of 

 1666. It comes up yearly in the Botanic Garden 

 from self-sown seed (Druce's " Flora of Berkshire"), 

 iii. Brassiceae, or Cabbages, Turnips, Colza, and 

 Mustards. By repeated removal of the lower leaves, 

 the stem of the Jersey variety of the Common Cabbage 

 can be grown long enough for the manufacture of 

 walking-sticks. 



iv. Alyssineae. . Horse-radish, Cochlearia armorada. 



Scurvy Grass, C.offictnalis, had completely established 



itself on the rockwork near the south pond in '185 3. 



v. Antony Wood records that in 1659 "scurvy-grass 



drink began to be drunk in the mornings as physick 



drink." Honesty, Lunaria biennis. 



vi. Lepidineae, including that common weed, the 



Shepherd's Purse, Capsella Bursa Pastoris. 

 vii. Thlaspideae. Candy tufts, Iberis, and Penny Cress, 

 viii. Isatideae. Woad, Isatis tinctoria^ the skin-stain of 

 the ancient Britons, is still cultivated in the Fens near 

 Wisbech for using with " indigo." The literature of 

 the dye manufacture has been collected by Dr. Plow- 

 right. 



ix. Cakilineae. Sea-kale, Crambe. 

 x. Raphaneae. Radish, R. sativus. 



