CROZ 



Qtf)t Creatfurj) of SSfltanij. 



352 



CROZOPHORA. A genus of Euphor- 

 biacexe found in tropical and northern 

 Africa, and extending eastwards as far as 

 India, It consists of annual or perennial 

 low growing plants, having all their parts 

 densely clothed with starry hairs or shield- 

 shaped scales. The stalked leaves have an 

 oval or heart-shaped blade with either 

 entire lobed or curled margins. The mi- 

 nute green flowers are borne on terminal 

 or axillary bracted racemes, the lower por- 

 tion of which is occupied by the females, 

 the upper by the males. The latter have 

 a calyx of five divisions, five petals and a 

 central column of five to ten stamens, but 

 most commonly eight,these being arranged 

 in two whorls, the outer one of Ave short 

 stamens, the inner of three longer, and all 

 of them opposite the calyx leaves. The 

 number and disposition of these stamens 

 afford the chief distinguishing character 

 of the genus. The ripe capsule is about 

 the size of a pea, and covered with shield- 

 shaped scales. It contains three seeds. 



C. tinctoria, which grows wild in the 

 countries bordering the Mediterranean, is 

 cultivated in the South of France for the 

 sake of a dye which is obtained from it. 

 This dye is called Turnsole, and is obtained 

 by grinding the plants, little herbs seldom 

 more than a foot high, to a pulp in a mill, 

 when they yield about half their weight 

 of a dark green coloured juice, which 

 becomes purple by exposure to the air or 

 under the influence of ammonia. It is 

 chiefly exported to Holland, and is pre- 

 pared for exportation by soaking coarse 

 linen rags or sacking with it, the rags 

 being previously washed clean. After 

 soaking they are allowed to dry, and are 

 exposed to the influence of ammonia by 

 being suspended over heaps of stable ma- 

 nure. They are then packed in sacks, and 

 ready for shipping to Holland. Not much 

 is known of the uses the Dutch put the 

 dye to, but it is supposed to be chiefly 

 employed as a colouring matter for cheese, 

 and perhaps confectionary, wine, &c. 

 This dye has been confounded by some 

 authors with the litmus of our chemists. 

 ,[A. A. B.] 



CRUCIANELLA. A genus of herbaceous 

 plants, called Crosswort and Petty Mad- 

 der, and belonging to the Rubiacece. The 

 corolla is funnel-shaped with an exceed- 

 ingly slender tube and narrow inflected 

 lobes ; the seeds are in pairs, linear not 

 crowned with the calyx. They are found 

 in the southern parts of Europe and Asia, 

 and are of humble growth, bearing thin 

 leaves inserted in opposite pairs, and 

 having stipules at their base so arranged 

 as to simulate a whorled form of growth. 

 The species are rarely cultivated except 

 in botanical gardens, with the exception 

 of G. stylosa, a native of Persia and the 

 Caucasus : this is a low tivf ted herb with 

 rose-coloured flowers, which bloom during 

 the greater part of the summer ; it is well 

 adapted for rockeries. French, Croisette ; 

 German, Kreuzblatt. [C. A. J.] 



CRUCIATE, CRUCIFORM. Having the 



form of a cross, with equal arms, as the 

 flowers of radish or wallflower. 



CRUCIBULUM. A genus of gasteromv- 

 cetous Fungi, belonging to the natural 

 order Nidulariei. It is distinguished from 

 Cyathus by its peridium being homogeneous 

 and not composed of distinct strata, and 

 by the sporangia being supported by a 

 cord ending above in a globular swelling 

 sunk in a pit of the sporangium, and in- 

 cluding an elastic complicated thread. 

 There is but one species which is common 

 all over Europe, and occurs in the north of 

 Africa, and New Zealand. It is especially 

 fond of the old fronds of ferns, but oc- 

 curs also on sticks, old ropes, and various 

 other vegetable substances. [M. J. B.] 



CRUCIFERS. (Brassicacew, Crucifers, 

 the Cruciferous family.) A natural order 

 of thalamifloral dicotyledons, belonging to 

 Lindley's cistal alliance. Herbs with alter- 

 nate leaves having no stipules, and flowers, 

 usually yeHow or white, arranged in ra- 

 cemes or corymbs without bracts ; sepals 

 four, falling off ; petals four, arranged like 

 a cross; stamens six, of which four are 

 long and two short. Fruit, a siliqua or 

 silicula, that is, a long or short pod open- 

 ing by two valves, with a partition (sep- 

 tum) in the centre; seeds without albu- 

 men ; embryo with its radicle folded on 

 the cotyledons. The plants of this very 

 natural order were included by Linnasus in 

 his class Tetradynamia. They are gene- 

 rally distributed, but most abound in cold 

 and temperate regions, especially in Eu- 

 rope. This order has been divided into sub- 

 orders and tribes according to the nature 

 of the fruit or the embryo. Considering 

 the fruit we have these six divisions :— 

 1. Siliquosce, a siliqua or long pod opening 

 by two valves from below upwards ; 2. 

 SMculosce latiseptce, a silicula or short 

 pod opening with two flat or convex 

 valves, the replum (partition) being in the 

 broadest diameter; 3. Siliculoscc avguxti- 

 septce, a silicula with folded or keeled 

 valves, the replum in the narrow diameter; 



4. Nucumentacece, a silicula whose valves 

 do not open, one-celled, having no replum ; 



5. Septulatie, valves with transverse parti- 

 tions on their inside ; 6. Lomentacece, a pod 

 dividing transversely into single-seeded 

 portions, the beak sometimes containing 

 one or two seeds, while the true pod is 

 abortive. The nature of the embryo gives 

 origin to Ave subdivisions, namely:— 1. 

 Pleurorhizece, the radicle folded on the edge 

 of the cotyledons; 2. Notorhizece,the radicle 

 folded on the back of the cotyledons; 3. 

 Orthoplocece, the cotyledons folded on the 

 radicle ; 4. Spnrolobece, cotyledons twice- 

 folded ; 5. Diplecolobece, cotyledons thrice- 

 folded. Crucifers are pungent, and occa- 

 sionally acrid in their properties. None 

 of them are poisonous ; many are culinary 

 vegetables. From containing much ni- 

 trogen and sulphur in their composition 

 they give out a fetid odour when decaying. 

 Among the common cruciferous garden 

 flowers may be enumerated wallflower, 

 stock, rocket, honesty. Brassica oleracea 



