CAPPARIDACE^E. 363 



chinensis yields Shanghse oil. Lepidium sativum is the common Cress, 

 and Raphanus sativus the Eadish. Crambe maritima is the Sea-kale. 

 The seeds of Sinapis nigra (Brassica nigra of some), furnish table 

 mustard. These contain a bland fixed oil, a peculiar bitter prin- 

 ciple, myronic acid, and another principle analogous to albumen or 

 emulsin, called myrosine. When water is added, the myronic acid 

 and myrosine, by their combination, form a pungent volatile oil, 

 containing sulphur and nitrogen, which gives to mustard its peculiar 

 properties as a physiological agent. Sinapis alba furnishes white 

 mustard, which contains more fixed oil than black mustard. It does 

 not, however, contain myronic acid, but an analogous principle called 

 sinapin, or sinapisin, which, by combination with another principle, 

 forms an acrid compound, but not a volatile oil. The mustard of 

 Scripture is not a species of Sinapis, but Salvadora persica, according 

 to Royle, belonging to the natural order Chenopodiacece. Many other 

 Cruciferous plants yield volatile oils containing sulphur, and the seeds 

 of many yield by expression a bland fixed oil, such as Kape-seed oil. 

 Cochlearia officinalis, common Scurvy-grass, is used as a stimulant. 

 Cochlearia Armor acia, or Armor acia rusticana, the Horse-radish, has 

 irritant and even vesicant qualities. Anastatica hierochuntina, Rose 

 of Jericho, is remarkable for the hygrometric property of the old 

 withered annual stems, which are rolled up like a ball in dry weather, 

 and drifted about by the winds in the deserts of Syria and Egypt. If 

 rain falls, they resume their original direction. They thus continue 

 for many years to curl up and expand, according to the state of the 

 atmosphere. The genus Scliizopetalon is remarkable on account of its 

 tetracotyledonous (having four cotyledons) embryo. Isatis tinctoria, 

 Woad, when treated like Indigo, yields a blue dye. Isatis indigotica 

 is the Tein-Ching, or Chinese Indigo. 



763. Order 14. Capparidaee, the Caper Family. (Polypet. Hypog.} 

 Sepals 4, often more or less cohering (fig. 554 c). Petals 4, some- 

 times 0, cruciate (fig. 554 p], usually unguiculate and unequal. Sta- 

 mens hypogynous, 4, 6 (fig. 554 e), or 00, but in general some high 

 multiple of four, placed on an elongated hemispherical and often 

 glandular torus (fig. 554 a g'}. Ovary usually stalked (fig. 554 o) ; 

 style filiform, sometimes 0; ovules curved. Fruit unilocular, siliquse- 

 form and dehiscent, or fleshy and indehiscent, rarely monospermous, 

 usually with two polyspermous placentas. Seeds generally reniform 

 and exalbuminous; embryo curved; cotyledons foliaceous, flattish. 

 Herbs, shrubs, sometimes trees, with alternate, stalked, undivided, or 

 palmate leaves, which are either exstipulate or have spines at their 

 base. They are found chiefly in warm countries, and are abundant in 

 Africa. There are 28 genera, and 340 species. The order is divided 

 into two suborders: 1. Cleomeae, with capsular fruit. 2. Capparese, 

 with baccate fruit. Examples Cleome, Capparis. 



