636 



lUSTOKY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



containing- veiy numerous ovules attaclied to 

 trosphosperms, wliieh project in the form of 

 laminfE or fiilse dissepiments. The style, which 

 is very short or scarcely distinct, is terminated 

 by as many stigmas as there are trophosperms. 

 'J'he fruit is an ovoidal capsule, crowned by the 

 stigma, indehiscent, or opening by pores under 

 the stigma ; or it is elongated in the form of a 

 pod, opening by two valves, or breaking across 

 by articulations. The seeds, which are usually 

 very small, are composed of a proper integument, 

 sometimes bearing a kind of small fleshy carun- 

 cula, and of a fleshy endosperm, in which is 

 placed a very small cylindrical embryo. 



Jussieu united with the papaveracua the 

 genus fumcwia, which is now considered a dis- 

 tinct family. The genera of the papaveracea; 

 are papaver, argemone, meconopsis, sanguinaria, 

 pocconia, romeria, gloudum, chelidanium, and 

 liypecoum. 



Many of the poppies are possessed of a nar- 

 cotic property. Opium is the concrete milky 

 juice of papaccr album. The seeds of the pop- 

 pies, however, yield an oil which is perfectly free 

 of deleterious properties, and is used in food. 

 Other species of this fanjily are purgative, 

 emetic, and diaphoretic, as sanguinaria cana- 

 densis. 



Many of this species are mere weeds. 



CnuciPEKiE, Jussieu. This is one of the 

 largest, most natural, and important families of 

 the vegetable kingdom, composed of herbaceous 

 or sometimes suffrutescent plants, most of which 

 grow in Europe. Their leaves are alternate, 

 simple, or more or less deeply incised; their 

 flowers disposed in spikes, or in simple or pani- 

 culate racemes. The calyx is formed of four 

 caducous sepals, two of wliich are sometimes 

 swelled out at the base. The corolla consists of 

 four unguiculate petals placed opposite each 

 other in pairs, so as to represent a cross (whence 

 the name of the family). The stamina, six in 

 number, are tetradynamous, that is, there are 

 four larger placed close to each other in pairs, 

 and two smaller, opposite to each other. At 

 the base of the stamina there are seen upon the 

 receptacle two or four glands, one between each 

 pair of large stamina, and a larger one under 

 each of the small stamina. 



The ovary is more or less elongated, with t«'o 

 cells separated by a false dissepiment. Each 

 cell contains one or more ovules attached to the 

 outer edge of the membranous dissepiment, 

 which is merely u prolongation of the two 

 sutural trophosperms. The style is short or 

 almost none, and seems a continuation of the 

 dissepiment : it is terminated by a tvvo-lohed 

 stigma. The fruit is a siliqua or a silicula, of 

 variable fonn, indehiscent, or opening by two 

 valves. The seeds are attached on each side of 

 tlie dissopimcut. Tlicir embryo is immediately 



covered by the proper integument, and is more 

 or less bent upon itself. 



The geneia which compose this family are 

 exceedingly numerous, and there are upwards 

 of 000 species. Linnajus divided them into two 

 orders, according as the fruit is a silicula or a 

 siliqua. In the first of these orders we find 

 among others the genera lapidium, thlaspi, isatis, 

 mi/iigriuii, iuMearia, iheris, hmaria, tkc; in the 

 other the genera cheirantlms, sisi/mbriiim, hcs- 

 pcris, hrassica, entca, sinapis, &c. 



The properties of the crucii'ei'a; are more or 

 less acrid and stimulant, and are considered as 

 antiscorbutic. Mustard, the seed of sinapis 

 nigra, is extremely acrid, and is applied exter- 

 nally as a rubefacient or blister. The horse- 

 radish, tlie cress, the I'oot of rapharais maritimvs, 

 and many other species, are equally pungent ; the 

 seeds contain fixed oil, which is extracted from 

 those of some species. When the acrid principle 

 is corrected by an abundant mucilage, tlie plants 

 become useful as food, as is the case with the 

 ^vater-cress, the sea-kale, the field-mustard. 

 Cultivation diminishes the acrimony, so as to 

 render some species almost destitute of it, as in 

 the numerous varieties of the cabbage and turnip. 



Some of the species are beautiful and fragrant 

 garden flowers, as the stock gelly flower, candy 

 tuft, &c. 



Capparride^. Herbaceous or -woody plants, 

 bearing- alternate, simple or digitate leaves, ac- 

 companied at their base by two foliaceous sti- 

 pules. Their flowers are terminal, spiked or 

 racemed, or axillar and solitary. The calyx is 

 composed of four caducous sepals, very rarely 

 united togetherat their base. The corollais formed 

 of four or five equal or unequal petals. The 

 stamina are sometimes definite, more frequently 

 indefinite. The ovary is simple, often raised 

 upon a more or less elongated support, which 

 bears the name of podogynum, at the base of 

 which are inserted the stamina and pettils. It 

 has a single cell containing several trophosperms 

 projecting- in the form of plates or false dissepi- 

 ments, bearing a great number of ovules. The 

 fruit is dry or fleshy. In the former case, it is 

 a kind of more or less elongated pod, opening by 

 two valves, as in most of the cruciferoe. In the 

 latter case, it is a unilocular, many-seeded berry, 

 of which the seeds are either parietal, or are 

 scattered in the pulp of wliich the fruit is com- 

 posed. These seeds are generally reniform, 

 composed of a dry, crustaceous episperm, which 

 immediately covers a somewhat curved embryo, 

 destitute of endosperm. 



The principal genera of this family are : cap- 

 paris, cratceiia, morisonia, Boscia, cleome, &c. 



The family is nearly allied to the cruciferjt, 

 but (lifters from them in having their leaves 

 furnished with stipules, their numerous stamina, 

 and the structure of their fruit. 



