BRASSICACEAE. 



149 



5. MICROSTIGMA Trauttv. [Matthiola R. Br., not L.] 



Herbs, or some species low shrubs, finely and densely stellate-pubescent, 

 with oblong to linear leaves and large, bractless, racemose flowers. Sepals 

 erect, two of them saccate at the base. Petals long-clawed, the blades spread- 

 ing. Stigmas erect, connivent, sessile. Silique elongated. Seeds flattened, 

 sometimes margined, borne in single rows; cotyledons accumbent. [Greek, 

 small stigma.] About 30 species, of the Old World, most abundant in 

 Europe and western Asia, one African. Type species: Microstigma Bungei 

 Trauttv. 



1. Microstigma incana (L.) Brit- 

 ton. Wild Stock. Gilliflowek. (Fig. 

 172.) Perennial, somewhat woody below, 

 branched, 2° high or less, the branches 

 stiff. Leaves oblong-linear, blunt at the 

 apex, narrowed into petioles, entire, 

 hoary, 2'-6' long, K wide or less; flowers 

 purple, conspicuous, with obovate petal- 

 blades; silique 4-5' long, narrowly 

 linear, nearly cylindric. [Cheiranthus 

 inca7ius L. ; Matthiola incana R. Br.] 



Coastal cliffs and rocks. Naturalized 

 from Europe, locally abundant, especially 

 in Warwick. Flowers in spring and sum- 

 mer, sometimes also in the autumn. Culti- 

 vated in flower-gardens, both in single-flow- 

 ered and double-flowered races, some of 

 which are annual or biennial in duration. 



6. ERYSIMUM [Tourn.] L. 



Annual or biennial, mostly tall herbs, with simple entire lobed or piunatifid 

 leaves, and yellow white or rarely pink flowers. Petals generally elongated. 

 Siliques elongated, linear, many-seeded. Valves mostly 3-nerved, dehiscent. 

 Stigma nearly simple, or with 2 short lobes. Seeds in 1 row in each cell of the 

 pod, oblong, marginless. Cotyledons incumbent. [Greek, name of some gar- 

 den plant.] A genus of a few species, natives of the Old World, mostly in 

 Europe and Asia, the following rather common weed typical. 



