Naturalisation in Extra- Tropical Countries. 75 



Brahea dulcis, Martins. 



Mexico, as far as its northern parts, and ascending to 4,500 feet. 

 A Brahea-Palm has also been discovered as far north as Arizona, 

 32 [Drude]. 



Brahea edulis, Herin. Wendland. (Erythea edulis, S. Watson). 



Lower California. Height to 30 feet. The clusters of plum- 

 shaped fruits sometimes weigh 40 Ibs., and are eaten by domestic 

 animals. B. armata is a closely allied species from the same 

 region. 



Brassica alba, Visiani. (Sinapis alba, Linne.) 



White Mustard. Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, Northern 

 and Middle Asia. An annual. The seeds are less pungent than 

 those of the Black Mustard, but used in a similar manner. The 

 young leaves of both are useful as a culinary and also antiscorbutic 

 salad. Can be employed with great advantage as green manure 

 and suppresses weed simultaneously [W. Emerson Mclvor]. The 

 cold-pressed oil of mustard-seed serves for table-use. Dr. M. T, 

 Masters enumerates Brassica dichotoma, B. Pekinensis, B. ramosa 

 and B. glauca among the mustards, which undergo cultivation in 

 various parts of Asia, either for the fixed oil of their seeds or for 

 their herbage. From 15 Ibs. to 20 Ibs. of seed of the White Mustard 

 are required for an acre. In the climate of California 1,400 Ibs. of 

 seed have been gathered from an acre. Can be grown in shallow 

 soil, even on land recently reclaimed from swamps. It prefers 

 argillaceous ground. The return is obtained in a few months. 

 The stalks and foliage after the seed-harvest serve as sheep-fodder. 

 In Norway the plant comes still to perfection as far north as lat. 

 70 [Schuebeler]. Matures seeds well even in the desert-tracts of 

 Central Australia [Rev. H. Kempe]. 



Brassica Chinensis, Linne. 



China and Japan. Serves like B. oleracea for cabbage, and pro- 

 duced in cultivation new varieties, particularly for use very late in 

 the season. The seeds in Japan extensively pressed for oil. B. 

 Cretica (Lamarck) is a woody Mediterranean species. 



Brassica juncea, J. Hooker and Thomson. (B. Widdenoivii, Boissier; 

 Sinapis juncea, Linne.) 



From Middle Africa to China. According to Colonel Drury cul- 

 tivated all over India for Sarepta-Mustard seed ; also extensively 

 raised in China for pickle [Consul Bourne] ; also a good salad- 

 plant. 





rassica nig-ra, Koch. (Sinapis nigra, Linne.) 



The " Black Mustard." Europe, Northern Africa, Middle Asia, 

 An annual. Succeeds also yet in sub-tropic latitudes. The seeds 

 crushed and passed through a sieve constitute mustard of com- 



