1041 



Ql\)Z Cr*a£urg at Botany. 



[CROS 



receptacle is naked. The corolla of all the 

 florets is ligulate ; the achenesare all of the 

 same form, beakless, smooth or slightly 

 hairy, having a lateral areole ; and the 

 pappus is in many rows, feathery, and in 

 part interwoven. 



Among the species of this genus, which 

 are very numerous, is one the properties 

 of which, although it is much esteemed 

 as'an esculent vegetable, should be more 

 generally known. This plant, S. hispanica, 

 is distinguished by its branching stem 

 terminating in single heads of flowers, its 

 lanceolate smooth or very slightly pubes- 

 cent leaves, and its involucre, which en- 

 closes the heads of flowers, being oblong 

 and smooth, and the scales of which it 

 consists acuminated. It is a native of 

 Spain, but is cultivated in this country ; 

 and its root is sold in the markets as 

 Scorzonera, a name derived from escorza, 

 the Spanish name for a serpent, in allusion 

 to its cooling antifebrile effects, it having 

 formerly been employed in Spain on ac- 

 count of these properties for the cure of 

 serpent-bites. It has also sometimes been 

 called Viper'sgrass. It is perennial, stand- 

 ing five or six years, and is very easy of 

 cultivation, growing vigorously in good 

 ground, and bearing the hardest winters of 

 this country without injury. Unless, how- 

 ever, the ground is good and favourably 

 situated, the root is likely to be small the 

 first year. It will also bear transplanting 

 without any apparent injury, and will grow 

 with its usual vigour after it has been ex- 

 posed in the market or lain out of the 

 ground for some weeks, or even months. 

 The root is nearly the shape of a carrot, 

 but smaller and dark-coloured, while inter- 

 nally' it is pure white. The taste is sweet- 

 ish and agreeable, something like that of 

 the roots of certain umbelliferous plants 

 or the common hazel-nut, and a variety 

 with a paler skin has a still more agreeable 

 flavour. 



Its effects on the digestive organs are to 

 increase the flow of gastric juice and bile, 

 and as it acts as a deobstruent generally, 

 it is slightly aperient. Its antibilious 

 power is scarcely inferior to that of dande- 

 lion, if at all so, being, it is believed, 

 superior in this property to any other es- 

 culent in use in this country ; and it is on 

 this account one of the best remedies in 

 many (if not in most) cases of indigestion, 

 and especially for that state of the diges- 

 tive organs called bilious. 



These good effects, however, cannot be 

 insured unless the vegetable is properly 

 cooked, as its medicinal qualities may be 

 quifkly destroyed. It should be cut as 

 little as possible, and washed not scraped, 

 as the'abundant milky juice on which its 

 salutary properties depend then escapes. 

 After boiling for about twenty or twenty- 

 five minutes, or till it is quite soft (rather 

 more salt being added to the water than 

 usual in cooking vegetables), it is to be 

 taken out and peeled, as the dark skin 

 then comes off as readily as that of a boiled 

 potato. When fresh from the garden a 

 quarter of au hour may be suffl cient, which 



it is of some importance to the invalid to 

 know, because after it has become quite 

 soft all further boiling is injurious to its 

 medicinal qualities.and soon destroysthem; 

 but when it has lain out of the ground for 

 a long time and become hardened, it may 

 require twice the time boiling, the rule 

 then being, to boil it till it is soft. It is 

 usually eaten in the same way as asparagus, 

 which is the preferable mode for the in- 

 valid. As it is one of the most agreeable 

 of vegetables in point of flavour, it un- 

 doubtedly deserves to be much more cul- 

 tivated. 



S. hispanica is not the only species in 

 use as an esculent vegetable, S. deliciosa, 

 a native of Sicily, being much valued in 

 its native country. It is there in most 

 extensive cultivation on account of its 

 sweet, very grateful flavour, and its'cooling 

 effects. [B. C] 



SCOTCH ATTORNEY. Clusia. 



SCOTCH BONNETS. The name in some 

 districts for Marasmius Oreades, or the true 

 Champignon ; also applied to the Bonnet- 

 pepper, Capsicum tetragonum. 



SCOTINO. An Italian name for Rhus 

 Cotinus. 



SCOTTIA. A West Australian genus 

 belonging to the tribe Genistem of the 

 Lerjuminosm. The two species, S. devtata 

 and S. ang-ustifotia, are branching diffuse 

 bushes, with slender stems bearing simple 

 opposite leaves, which are heart-shaped and 

 toothed or almost linear in form. The 

 flowers are brick-red tinged with green, 

 and nearly an inch long, sessile and solitary 

 in the leaf-axils ; they have a five-toothed 

 bell-shaped calyx with five bracts at its 

 base ; and the upper petal or standard is 

 shorter than the side-petals or wings/which 

 are as long as the lower petal or keel ; the 

 stamens are united into one parcel, and 

 the flat pods contain a number of seeds. 

 The name commemorates Dr. R. Scott, once 

 Professor of Botany at Dublin. [A. A. B.] 



SCRATCH WEED. The Cleavers, Galium 

 Aparine. 



SCREW-TREE. Helicteres. 



SCRIPTUREWORTS. A name applied 

 to the species of Opegrapha, or Letter 

 Lichen. 



SCROBICULATE. Marked by little de- 

 pressions : the same as Pitted. 



SCROPHULAIRE. (Fr.) Scrophularia. 



SCROPHULARIACE.3E (Scrophularinece, 

 Personatce, Jihinanthacece, Linariads). A 

 large order of monopetalous dicotyledons, 

 generally distributed over the world, con- 

 sisting of herbs or rarely shrubs, with oppo- 

 site or alternate leaves without stipules, 

 and irregular flowers either axillary or in 

 terminal racemes orpanicles. They are dis- 

 tinguisliedfrom other irregular Monopetalw 

 by the free calyx of five or rarely four parts 

 or lobes ; the corolla of five or four lobes ; 

 two or four perfect stamens; a superior 

 two-celled ovary, with several usually nu- 



