AGRICULTURAL BOTANY 



from every other member in one or more ways, but they 

 agree generally in the following characteristics : 



(a) Plants endogenous with fibrous roots ; 



(b) Stems hollow or pithy between the solid joints; 



(c) Leaves alternate ; 



(d) Flowers in spike- 

 lets with alternate 

 glumes and pales ; 



(<?) Ovary with two 

 and sometimes three 

 plumelike stigmas and 

 one ovule ; 



(/) Stamens usually 

 three. 



Cruciferae, or Mus- 

 tard Family. --This 

 family is represented 

 by some of our most 

 important garden veg- 

 etables, including the 

 cabbage, turnip, ru- 

 tabaga, radish, and 

 horse-radish. It in- 

 cludes also water cress, mustard, peppergrass, shepherd's 

 purse, and French weed. 



All the flowers of the plants in this family are arranged 

 along the stem, as in the currant. This form is called 

 a raceme. The lower flowers are the older and often 

 develop ripened fruit while upper nodes are lengthening 

 and developing new flowers. The seeds are formed 

 in a two-celled pod, called a silicle when short, and a 

 silique when long, as in the mustard. 



The flowers have four sepals and four petals ar- 



FIG. 86. The Wild Mustard. 



An individual flower and a seed pod appear at the 

 left, and at the lower left-hand corner is shown 

 a flower. 



