STURTEVANT S NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS 1 13 



B. oleracea biillata major DC. savoy cabbage. 



This race of cabbage is distinguished by the blistered surface of its leaves and by the 

 formation of a loose or little compacted head. Probably the heading cabbages of the ancient 

 Romans belong to this class, as, in their descriptions, there are no indications of a firm 

 head, and at & later period this form is named as if distinctly Roman. Thus, Ruellius,* 

 1536, describes under the name romanos a loose-heading sort of cabbage but does not 

 describe it particularly as a Savoy. This sort probably is the Brassica italica tenerrima 

 ghmerosa flore albo figured by J. Bauhin,^ 165 1, its origin, judging from the name, being 

 ascribed to Italy; it is also figured by Chabraeus,' 1677, under the same name and 

 with the additional names of Chou d'ltalie and Chou de Savoys. In the Adversaria * and 

 elsewhere, this kind is' described as tender and as not extending to northern climates. This 

 form, so carefully pictured as existing under culture, has doubtless been superseded by 

 better varieties. It has been cultivated in English gardens for three centuries.* In 1806, 

 McMahon ' mentions three savoys for American gardens. In 1828, Thorbum offers in 

 his catalog seeds of five varieties and in 1881 offers seed of but three. 



B. oleracea capita DC. cabbage. 



Few plants exhibit so many forms in its variations from the original type as cabbage. 

 No kitchen garden in Europe or America is without it and it is distributed over the greater 

 part of Asia and, in fact, over most of the world. The original plant occurs wild at the 

 present day on the steep, chalk rocks of the sea province of England, on the coast of 

 Denmark and northwestern France and, Lindley says, from Greece to Great Britain in 

 nimierous localities. At Dover, England, wild cabbage varies considerably in its foliage 

 and general appearance and in its wild state is used as a culinary vegetable and is of 

 excellent flavor.' This wild cabbage is undoubtedly the original of ovir cultivated varie- 

 ties, as experiments at the garden of the Royal Agricultural College and at Cirencester 

 resulted in the production of sorts of broccoli, cabbages and greens from wild plants gath- 

 ered from rocks overhanging the sea in Wales.' Lindley groups the leading variations 

 as follows: If the race is vigorous, long jointed and has little tendency to turn its leaves 

 inwards, it forms what are called open cabbages (the kales) ; if the growth is stunted, the 

 joints short and the leaves inclined to turn inwards, it becomes the heart cabbages; if 

 both these tendencies give way to a preternatural formation of flowers, the cauliflowers 

 are the result. If the stems sweU out into a globular form, we have the turnip-rooted 

 cabbages. Other species of Brassica, very nearly allied to B. oleracea Linn., such as 

 B. halearica Richl., B. insularis Moris, and B. cretica Lam., belong to the Mediterra- 

 nean flora and some botanists suggest that some of these species, likewise introduced 



Ruellius Nat. PL Slirp. 477. 1536. 

 Bauhin, J. Hist. PI. 2:827. 1651. 

 ' Chabraeus Icon. Sciag. 269. 1677. 

 Pena and Lobel Advers. 91. 1570. 

 Booth, W. B. Treas. Bot. 1:166. 1870. 

 McMahon, B. Amer. Card. Cat. 580. 1806. 

 ''Card. Mag. 8:54. 

 ' Agr.Caz. 217. 1879. 



