CABBAGE OF ECONOMIC PLANTS. 73 



Button Tree, a name in the West Indies for Conocarpus 

 erecta, a tree of the Myrobalan family (Combretacese). It has 

 small flowers compacted in round heads, which are compared to 

 butto^is. It was introduced to this country in 1752, and grown 

 in the hothouses at Kew, but is of no special use. 



Button - wood, a name in North America for Cephalan- 

 tJuis occidentalis, a shrub of the Cinchona family (Rubiacese). 

 It has simple opposite or whorled leaves and small yellowish- 

 white flowers, produced in round heads compared to buttons, 

 and, like the preceding, is of no special use. It was introduced 

 in 1735; and is hardy, but is not much patronised, except in 

 botanic gardens. Button-wood is also a name for the wood of 

 Platanus occidentalis, a North American tree of the Plane family 

 (Platanaceae). 



Cabbage, the common name of Brassica olcracea, a biennial 

 of the Cruciferous family (Cruciferse), a native of the sea-shores 

 of this country. In 1706 Dr. Peachy, in his Herbal, says it 

 grows everywhere on the coast of England ; our people in such 

 places eat it, preferring it to garden cabbage. It is considered 

 by successive cultivation to be the parent of all the forms of the 

 cabbage group now in general use for culinary purposes, of 

 which the following are the principal : — 1. The common white 

 cabbage ; 2. Eed cabbage ; 3. Savoys — these, when perfect, con- 

 sist of solid masses formed by the leaves compactly enveloping 

 one another ; 4. Coleworts, a name applied to the different 

 varieties of white cabbage before becoming solid ; 5. Borecole or 

 Scotch Kale, has tall stems and loose leaves, often variously 

 coloured ; 6. Curly greens, with tall stems and large heads of 

 finely-cut spreading leaves ; 7. Cauliflower — the heads of cauli- 

 flower (so-called) consist of the metamorphosed condition of the 

 flower ; 8. Broccoli, the head formed in the same way as cauli- 

 flower ; 9. Cow or Jersey cabbage, a tall, slender- stemmed 

 .variety of the common cabbage, growing in Jersey, sometimes 

 attaining the height of 10 to 12 feet, terminated by a head of 

 compacted leaves. When dry, the stem is very light and firm, and 

 walking-sticks are made of it. As already stated, the whole of 



