CAVPARIDI'JE. 33 



liave not as yet succeeded in naturalising in our climate the 

 common Caper tree (C. SPINOSA), a native of the South of Eu- 

 rope. 



I. GYNANDROPSIS. 



Calycine sepals 4, patent. Petals 4. Disk elon- 

 gated. Stamens 6, monadelphous around the disk, 

 free at the apex. Silique' stalked on the calyx, at the 

 extremity of the disk. De Cand. 



1. Gynandropsis pentaphylla. Five-leaved bastard 

 Mustard. 



Subglabrous, the middle leaves 5-foliate, the lower 

 and floral ones 3-foliate, leaflets subserrulated. 



Sloane, I. 294. Cleome pentaphylla, Lun. Hort. Jam. I. 68. 

 G. pentaphylla, De Cand. Prod. I. 238. 



IIAB. Common in dry situations. 



!'].. August October. 



About 2 feet in height, herbaceous : branches few, subsuc- 

 culent towards their extremities. Leaflets somewhat spathu- 

 late, narrowing towards the base, bluntish at the apex, serru- 

 lated with the teeth terminating in a seta: petiole elongated, sub- 

 terete, slightly channelled and hirsute above: petiolules short. 

 Racemes terminal, simple, leafy : peduncle terete, subhirsute. 

 Floral leaves 3-foliate, similar in shape to, but smaller than 

 those of the branches. Pedicels an inch in length, terete, fili- 

 form, closely puberulous with minute capitato-glandulous hairs. 

 Disk elongated. Sepals 4, lanceolate, spreading ; 2 of them 

 rather longer than the others. Petals subequal, clawed, with 

 the border rotundo-spathulate, white with a slight tinge of 

 purple. Filaments united and adherent to the elongated disk 

 at the base : distinct at the apex, capillary, purple, spreading : 

 anthers lineari-oblong, afterwards recurved. Ovary lineari- 

 oblong, terete, densely papilloso-puberulous. Silique 3-4 

 inches long, strigoso-hispid : seeds numerous, reniform. 



The lower flowers of the raceme are fertile ; the upper ones 

 are usually abortive. 



This plant has a warm bitter taste. It is said to be a very 

 wholesome green, and to be a preventative against belly-ache ; 

 but to render it palatable, it requires a long boiling, and the 

 water to be frequently changed. The juice, either plain, or 

 mixed with sweet oil, is a certain remedy for the ear-ache. It 

 ought to be warmed previous to being used. A preparation 

 may be made by beating up the young branches of the plant, 

 with sweet oil, in a mortar. 



