CLASS XV. ORDER II.] BARBAKEA. 901 



GENUS XIX. BARBARE'A. BRO\TN. Winter-cress. 

 Nat. Ord. CRDCIF'ER^E. Jess. 



GEN. CHAR. Siliqua linear, round, the valves with a prominent 

 longitudinal rib or vein. Calyx erect, equal at the base. Stigma 

 obtuse, entire, or emarginate. Cotyledons accurabent. (See Fig. 

 1, p. 871.) Name from St. Barbara, to whom this plant was 

 formerly dedicated. 



1. B. vulga'ris, Brown. (Fig. 1039.) Bitter Winter-cress, Yellow 

 Rocket. Lower leaves lyrate, the terminal lobe roundish ovate, the 

 upper leaves obovate, undivided, toothed, sessile ; siliqua erect, 

 roundish, the dorsal rib stout, prominent. 



English Botany, vol. Hi. p. 198. Hooker, British Flora, ed. 4. vol. 

 i. p. 253. Lindley, Synopsis, p. 23.~Erysimum Barbarea, Linn. 

 English Botany, t. 443. 



Root tapering, and wilh branched fibres. Stem erect, about two 

 feet high, simple or branched, angular, furrowed, leafy, smooth. 

 Leaves on the lower part of the stem, lyrate, with entire or toothed 

 linear oblong lateral lobes, the terminal one large, roundish oblong, 

 entire, toothed or waved, the upper ones obovate, sessile, entire, toothed, 

 waved or lobed, mostly auriculated at the base, and embracing the 

 stem, all dark green, smooth, paler beneath. Inflorescence terminal 

 sub-corymbose racemes of numerous flowers. Calyx of four equal 

 ovate erect pieces. Corolla of four equal spreading petals, the claw 

 narrow, about as long as the calyx, the limb ovate, spreading. 

 Stamens wilh awl-shaped filaments and yellow oblong anthers. Fruit 

 an erect smooth siliqua, on a short angular pedicle, smooth, about an 

 inch long, pointed, with the tapering style and small obtuse stigma, 

 the valves with a stout dorsal rib, giving the siliqua a somewhat square 

 shape. Seeds numerous, compressed, ovate, dark brown, beautifully 

 dotted over with small depressions. 



Habitat. Pastures and hedges, especially in a moist soil ; frequent. 



Perennial; flowering from May to August. 



The Yellow Rocket is sometimes cultivated as a pot herb, and the 

 young leaves and branches are also used as a salad ; it is, however, an 

 inferior vegetable, and not much esteemed. The flowers by cultivation 

 become much larger and double, forming a pretty border ornament, 

 as they continue a long time in bloom. 



2. B. pra'cox, Brown. (Fig. 1040.) .Early Winter-cress. Lower 

 leaves lyrate, the terminal lobe roundish, heart-shaped, the upper ones 

 deeply pinnatifid, with linear oblong entire lobes, the terminal linear 

 oblong ; siliqua linear, obtuse. 



English Flora, vol. iii. p. 199. Hooker, British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. 

 p. 253. Lindley, Synopsis, p. 25. Erysimum pracox, Sm. English 

 Botany, t. 1129. 



6 A 



