196 Neilgherry Plants. 



stem : racemes elongated, slender ; flower at other seasons, though 

 bracteoles at the base of the pedi- more rarely, the fruit ripens dur- 

 cel oblong, obtuse : petals with ing the dry season, and when 

 two distinct glands ; filaments fully ripe acquires a bluish purple 

 without teeth : berry globose, colour, 

 crowned with the evident style 

 and stigma. — W. and A. Prod, 

 p. 16. 



V.— CRUCIFEILE.— Cabbage Tribe. 



This large and most useful family of plants, supplies man 

 with many of his most esteemed esculents, among which may 

 be named the whole tribe of cabbages, turnips, rape, mustard, 

 cress, scury grass, radish, horse radish, &c, and to the flower 

 garden, wall flowers, stocks, candy tuft, honesty, and many 

 others. But though it thus abounds in both useful and ornamen- 

 tal plants in the temperate regions of the globe, it scarcely 

 merits a place in this work, 3 or 4 insignificant species being 

 all that are found here which the one figured is the best look- 

 ing of the set. Such being the case, it seems useless to dilate 

 on a family that can possess so little interest for the lovers of the 

 wild flowers of our Blue-mountains. Though thus rare, even 

 in the temperate climate, the family is a large one, including 

 little short of 1,500 species. A few however are found in 

 warmer climates, the most curious and interesting of which is 

 the so-called Rose of Jericho ( Anastatica, literally resurrection 

 flower) a native of the sandy deserts of Arabia, the ends of the 

 branches of which contract during dry weather, and form a 

 ball which may be taken up and kept in that state for years ; 

 and at the end of that time, if the roots are immersed in 

 water will re-expand, the flowers open, and in a few hours the 

 whole plant appear as if it had never been out of the ground. 



The family derives its name from the Latin word Crux cru- 

 ris, a cross, with reference to the four petals spreading in op- 

 posite directions, so as to form the appearance of a St. 



