288 



SAUCE ALONE. 



niform, and supported on longer petioles. The flowers are 

 small, sustained on short peduncles, and form a terminal co- 

 rymbose raceme. The calyx consists of four ovate-lanceolate, 

 concave, connivent, pale green sepals. The corolla is cruciform, 

 of four white obovate petals, with short erect claws. The 

 stamens are tetradynamous, with subulate filaments, supporting 

 yellow, oblong, incumbent anthers ; there is a gland between 

 each pair of longer stamens and the calyx, and one surround- 

 ing the base of each shorter stamen. The germen is long, te- 

 tragonal, crowned with a capitate truncate stigma. The fruit 

 is apod, or silique, nearly two inches in length, slender, pris- 

 matic, with prominent nerves ; two-valved, two-celled, con- 

 taining many oblong, brown, shining seeds. Plate 40, fig. 4, (a) 

 entire flower magnified ; (b) calyx ; (c) stamens and pistil ; (d) 

 transverse section of the pod ; (e) pod or silique, natural size. 



This plant is very common in Britain, and throughout Eu- 

 rope, under hedges, on the banks of ditches, and in coppices, 

 flowering from May to the middle of June. 



The generic name, Erysimum, is derived from i%vu, to cure, 

 alluding to the reputed qualities of the plants which it desig- 

 nates. Alliaria is a derivative of allium, garlic, referring to 

 the odour of the species ; hence also, the common names, Sauce 

 alone, and garlic treacle-mustard. Jack by the Hedge is 

 another of its provincial synonymes. 



General Uses. — This plant is eaten as a salad, or pot- 

 herb, and as an ingredient in sauces. Mr. Neil observes, 

 that " when gathered as it approaches the flowering state, 

 boiled separately, and then eaten to boiled mutton, it forms 

 a most desirable pot-herb, and to any kind of salted meat 

 an excellent green" In Wales it is used as a frying herb. 

 According to Bautsch it is useful in the process of tanning. 

 From the Swedish experiments, it appears that cows and 

 goats eat the foliage ; but horses, swine, and sheep refuse it. 

 When devoured by cows, it imparts a strong alliaceous taste to 

 the milk, and if eaten by poultry, it imparts to their flesh, and 

 as some assert, even to their eggs, a disagreeable rank taste. 



Qualities. — The leaves, as before mentioned, have much 

 of the odour and flavour of garlic, with a slight bitterness. 

 These qualities are almost destroyed in drying. The aqueous 

 infusion is nearly colourless, transparent, subacrid, and bit- 



