VIII. CRUCIFKR^ (OLIVER). B? 



Silicules oblong to obcordate. Cotyledons various, entire 



or 3-partite. Flowers white 15. Lepidium. 



Radicle accumbent. 



Seeds usually solitary in each cell 15. Lepidium. 



Seeds 2-4 in each cell. Silicules obcordate to oblong . 16. Thlaspi. 

 C. Fruit indehiscent, or the valves separating as cocci. 



Fruit didymous ; valves closed, separating as cocci . . . .1?. Senebiera. 

 Fruit globose, articulated to a minute, seedless, pedicel-like article 18. Cbambe. 

 Fruit elongate, of two jointed articles, the lower l-4-8eeded, the 



upper 3-6-seeded 19. Enarthbocarpus. 



Shrubby. Leaves oblong, toothed. Flowers ebracteate. Fruit 



a bony 2-seeded nut 20. Zilla. 



Shrubby. Leaves small, ovate or oblong, entire. Flowers brac- 



teate. Fruit 1-seeded, winged 21. Diptervoium. 



Radical leaves lyrate. Fruit terete, many-seeded, not articulated 22. *Raphanu3. 



1. MATTHIOLA, Br. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. i. 67. 



Sepals erect ; two lateral inserted slightly lower upon the torus, and con- 

 vex or saccate at the base. Petals spreading, usually with a long claw. 

 Stigma sessile with connivent lobes, sometimes thickened or horned at the 

 base. Siliqua long and narrow, terete or compressed, with a thick pitted 

 septum. Seeds numerous, in one row, flattened and usually narrowly winged ; 

 radicle accumbent. — Perennials or annuals, covered with a hoary tomentum 

 or pubescence. Leaves entire, sinuate or toothed. Flowers tolerably large, 

 usually purple, in terminal racemes. 



A genus of about 30 species, mostly confined to the shores of the Mediterranean and the 

 "West of Europe. One species occurs at the Cape. 



1. M. eUiptica, Br.; DC. Syst. Veg. ii. 167. A diffuse or bushy 

 herb, hard woody and branching below, 1-2 ft. high. Leaves elliptical or 

 ovate-lanceolate, rather acute or obtuse, obscurely dentate-sinuate or entire, 

 narrowed into rather long slender petioles, hoary with a short stellate tomen- 

 tum ; lamina |-1 5" in. long, 5-9 lines broad; petiole 4-9 lines. Pedicels 

 short, erect, appressed. Outer sepals very slightly convex at the base. Pe- 

 tals broadly rotundate-obovate, gradually narrowed into a rather short, 

 thickened claw. Stigmas converging, forming a triangular unappeiidaged 

 tip to the ovary. Siliqua (not seen ripe) nearly terete, hoary, with a raised 

 line on each side. 



Nile Land. Mountains of Abyssinia, Salt ! Schimper ! 

 Not known from elsewhere. 



2. NASTURTIUM, Br. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. i. 59. 



Sepals short, loose or rather spreading, equal or nearly so. Petals nar- 

 rowed to the base, sometimes wanting. Stamens 6 or fewer. Stigma entire 

 or 2-lobed, subsessile or with a short style. Siliqua usually linear or narrow- 

 oblong, nearly terete, with a membranous septum ; valves nerveless or with 

 a very slender nerve. Seeds usually 2-seriate, with short free funicles. 

 Eadicle accumbent. — Erector diffuse, usually branching terrestrial or aquatic 

 herbs, with pinnatifid or sometimes entii'C leaves and white or yellow (or 

 lilac), ebracteate or bracteate flowers. 



