36 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



A score of genera are in cultivation in America, all 

 as garden plants. Some of these are: Bocconia (Plume 

 Poppy of eastern Asia); Chelidonium (Celandine), 

 a weed from Europe; Dendromecon, shrubby; Esch- 

 scholtzia (California Poppy); Mecanopsis (Welsh 

 Poppy of western Europe) ; Papaver (Poppy) ; Platy- 

 etemon (Cream Cups); Platystigma; Sanguinaria 

 (Bloodroot), native; Stylophorum (Celandine Poppy), 

 native. 



86. Fumariacese (from the genus Fumaria, which is 

 from the Latin fumus, smoke, presumably referring to 

 the nitrous odor of the roots when pulled from the 

 ground). FUMITORY FAMILY. Fig. 24. Herbaceous 

 plants with alternate, dissected leaves: flowers bisex- 

 ual, regular or irregular, hypogynous; sepals 2; petals 

 4, free or connate, in 2 unlike pairs, outer pair larger, 

 either one or both petals of which are spurred or gib- 

 bous, the two inner crested and united over the an- 

 thers and stamens; anthers 6, borne on 2 filaments; 

 carpels 2, united; ovary 1-celled, 1- to many-seeded: 

 fruit a silique, vesicular or indehiscent, or transversely 

 jointed; seeds albuminous. 



There are 5 genera and 130 species, mostly from the 

 north temperate regions. The family is closely related 

 to the Papaveraceae with which it is often united. The 



24. PAPAVERACE: 1. Papaver; a, flower; b and c, fruit. 2. 

 Chelidonium, fruit. FUMARIACE^E: 3. Dicentra, flower. 4. Fumaria 

 flower 1, corolla removed. CRUCIFER<E: 5. Flower; a, perianth re- 

 moved; b, floral diagram. 6. Fruit; a, Brassica; b, Lepidium; c, 

 Lunaria; d, Raphanus. 7. Cross-section seeds of Cruciferse, showing 

 types of embryos; a, accumbent; b, incumbent; c, conduplicate. 

 C APFARiDACE.fi: 8. Cleome, flower. 



bleeding-heart-like flower, the plan of 2, the 6 anthers 

 on 2 filaments, the 1-celled ovary, and the absence of 

 milky juice are distinctive. 



Fumaria officinalis and some species of Corydalis 

 have been used as medicine, but the family is of little 

 economic importance, except for the few ornamental 

 species. 



Following are the genera best known in cultivation: 

 Adlumia (Allegheny Vine, Climbing Fumitory), a 

 graceful native garden climber; Corydalis, with 1- 

 spurred corolla; Dicentra (Bleeding Heart, Squirrel 

 Corn, Dutchman's Breeches), with 2-spurred corolla; 

 and Fumaria (Fumitory), with 1-spurred corolla. 



87. Cruciferae (from the Latin signifying cross- 

 bearers, in reference to the cross-like appearance pro- 

 duced by the four petals). MUSTARD FAMILY. Fig. 24. 

 Herbs, rarely shrubby: leaves usually alternate, simple, 

 often varying from entire to palmate or pinnatifid 

 within the same genus: flowers bisexual, regular; se- 

 pals 4; petals 4, rarely wanting; stamens 6, 4 long and 

 2 shorter (tetradynamous), rarely fewer, very rarely 

 more, hypogynous; carpels 2, united, ovary superior, 

 2-, rarely 1-, celled with 2 parietal placentae at the 

 edges of the septum: fruit a silique (long), or a silicle 

 (short), rarely indehiscent; seeds exalbuminous; the 

 embryo variously curved and folded. 



In the family are 208 genera and 1,600 species, dis- 

 tributed throughout the cold and temperate parts 

 of both hemispheres, but especially abundant around 

 the Mediterranean Sea; a few are tropical. The Crucif- 

 erae are closely related to the Capparidaceae, Papaver- 

 aceae, and Fumariacese. The 4 sepals, 4 petals, 6 sta- 

 mens (4 long and 2 short), and the peculiar fruit are 

 distinctive. 



The 6 stamens probably represent a reduction from 

 2 sets of 4 each. In Lepidium and other genera, there 

 may be only 2 stamens. The septum of the fruit re- 

 mains upon the plant when the seeds and valves fall. 

 The silicles are often flattened, either perpendicular or 

 parallel to the partition (in different genera). The 

 embryos in the seed are folded so that the hypocotyl 

 (radicle) and cotyledons lie side by side. Distinct pat- 

 terns are thus produced which are so constant as to be 

 of great value in the classification within the family. 

 Three principal types are recognized: cotyledons ac- 

 cumbent, when the edges of the cotyledons are applied 

 to the hypocotyl; incumbent, when the back of one 

 cotyledon is applied to the hypocotyl; and conduplic- 

 ate. when the cotyledons themselves are also folded 

 and enwrap the hypocotyl. In Leavenworthia, alone, 

 the embryo is straight. 



The flower of Cruciferse is of little value in classi- 

 fication within the family; the important characters 

 are in connection with the fruit and seeds. 



Many have become well-known weeds as, for exam- 

 ple, charlock (Brassica ari'ensis), shepherd's purse 

 (Capsetta Bursa-pastoris) , pepper grass (Lepidium), 

 spring mustard (Barbarea), wild radish (Raphanus 

 Raphanistrum) . Many others are among the well- 

 known old-fashioned ornamental plants of the garden, 

 e.g., rocket (Hesperis matronalis), stock or gilli- 

 flower (Matthiola), wallflower (Cheiranthus), honesty 

 (Lunaria) with large orbicular flat pods, candytuft 

 (Iberis), sweet alyssum (Alyssum). Others are used as 

 food, of which Brassica oleracea, a very variable species, 

 is the most important, furnishing cabbage, cauliflower, 

 kohlrabi and kale. Brassica campestris furnishes the 

 various forms of rutabaga. Brassica alba furnishes 

 white mustard, and Brassica nigra, black mustard. 

 Radicula Nasturtium-aquaticum is water-cress; Radi- 

 cula Armoracia is horse-radish. The rootstocks of 

 Dentaria are eaten in America under the name "crinkle 

 root." Raphanus sativus is the garden radish; Lepid- 

 ium sativum is garden cress. The various organs of 

 most Cruciferse contain an oily substance which is 

 very pungent to the taste and which gives the peculiar 

 flavor to the various cresses. This oil is abundant in 

 the seeds from which it is extracted (oil of mustard). 

 The foliage of the various maritime Cruciferse have 

 been found a useful article of diet in counteracting 

 scurvy, for which reason the arctic Cochlearia is called 

 "scurvy-grass." The leaves of the woad of western 

 Europe (I satis tinctoria) yield a blue dye. Anastatica 

 Hierochuntica is the original "rose of Jericho," the 

 branches of which close and open when alternately 

 dried and wetted. (See article on Resurrection Plants.) 

 88. Capparidaceae (from the genus Capparis, the 

 Greek name, from the Arabic kapar, capers). CAPER 

 FAMILY. Fig. 24. Herbs or rarely shrubs: flowers bisex- 



