376 THE VEGETABLE WORLD. 
virtue ; the’ Woad (satis tinctoria), the blue roots of which furnish 
a colouring ,matter called woad ; various specimens of Lunaria 
and Erisium, Mathiola, Chenanthus, and Hesperes, are cultivated 
as ornamental plants. Nearly all plants of the family of the 
Crucifers contain a juice of an acrid and piquant flavour, due to 
the presence of a volatile oil, which though it exists under all 
circumstances, becomes more developed under the influence of hot 
water, as seen in mustard seed. The presence of this acrid and 
exciting oil communicates to the plants of this family the anti- 
scorbutic virtues which medicine ascribes to them. Some Crucifers 
are employed as aliments on account of the mucilaginous and sac- 
charine matter which they contain, and which corrects the acridity 
of their juices ; others furnish a lamp-oil from their seeds, which is 
much used. The plants of this family are very little cultivated for 
ornamental purposes, although some remarkably pretty flowers are 
found within its limits. For fragrant aroma few plants excel the 
Wallflower. Who does not remember 
“ Some rude stone fence, with fragrant Wallflower gay,” 
or the bright green shining Cardamine pratensis—the 
“ Ladies’ smock, all silver white,” 
whose praises Shakespeare sung ? 
The Resepacem, of which the common Mignonette (Reseda 
odorata) may be considered the type, are soft herbaceous plants, 
or, in a few instances, small shrubs, with alternate entire or pinnate ; 
leaves and minute gland-like stipules ; flowers in racemes oF spikes; ; 
calyx many-parted ; petals broad fleshy plates. They are ere 
‘of the South of Europe and adjoining parts of Asia, and of - 
shores of the Mediterranean. A few species occur at the Cape, 
again in Australia, . 
The common Mignonette, whose delicious scent has caused ie 
be universally cultivated, is a native of Northern Africa. 
by its lanceolate entire trifid leaves, six-parted calyx, equal oo Y 
length to the petals, which are finely cleft into many club-shapel 
divisions, the two lowest simple; the capsules three-toothed. ~~ 3 
nonette is naturally a small herb, but it has become the 
train it in greenhouses until it becomes a shrubby plant, 
when i635 
