CLASS XV. ORDEi; 1.] CKAMBE. 873 



ones mostly with a lateral tooth near the top. Anthers oblong, two 

 celled, yellow. Style very short. Stigma obtuse. Fruit a silicula, 

 of two cells and two joints, never opening with valves, the upper ceU 

 globose, single seeded, the lower cell abortive, contracted into a stalk. 

 Seed globose, large. 



Habitat. — Sandy or stony places in various parts of the sea coast, 

 but not common. 



Perennial; flowering in May and June. 



From the very imperfect knowledge which the ancients appear to 

 have had in distinguishing one tribe of plants from another, we are 

 not able always to know whether or not many vegetables now known, 

 are those which v\ere called by the same name by them: thus in 

 the history of the K^a,f/.^r), coleivort, which we now limit to the present 

 genus, was formerly applied also to the genus Brassica. It ap- 

 pears to have been a custom amongst the ancient Grecians on the 

 fifth day after the birth of a child, that the midwives having 

 first purified themselves by washing their hands, ran round the 

 fire-hearth with the infant in their arms, thereby, as it were, entered 

 into the family, and putting ii under the protection of the household 

 gods, to whom the hearth served instead of an altar; hence this day 

 or festival was called A/xift^Ojaia, It was celebrated as a festival, with 

 great expressions of joy ; they received gifts from their friends — if the 

 child was a male, their doors were decked with an olive garland. 



" The sign of peace who first displays 

 The olive wreath possesses." 



If a female, with wool ; in token of the work in which women were 

 usually employed. The cheer consisted of different sorts of rhings, 

 among which K^a^^n, coleivort, was always one, which the Athenian 

 midwives used to administer to women in childbed, as conducing to 

 create milk. Ephippus thus describes the ceremony — 



" But what's the reason that no crown is plac'd 

 Before the doors, nor grateful victim slain, 

 Whose frying fat delights the smelling sense, 

 When joyful Amphidromia are kept j 

 In which is toasted Chersonesian cheese, 

 And colewort tied in bundles, seeth'd in oil, 

 And linnets, doves, thrushes, and cuttle fish, 

 And calamary dress'd and eat in common, 

 And polypus's claws with care procured, 

 To drink 'em down amidst their less mix'd cups ?" 



For further particulars of these ancient ceremonies, in which it will 

 be seen some of their remains are still amongst us, see Potter's Grecian 

 Antiquities. 



From a very early period the young shoots of Crambe maritima 

 have been used as a vegetable, when in a young and tender state, by 

 the natives of our sea coasts, and cooked for use in a similar way as 

 asparagus. It has not, however, been long cultivated in our gardens, 



