Sea-Kale 47 



C. maritima, Linn. Sp. PI. 671. Sea-Kale. Fleshy per- 

 ennial, glabrous, glaucous-blue, with thick cord-like deep roots : 

 stem erect, to 3 ft. high, much branching above, more or less 

 grooved, many-striate when dried : leaves* thick, petioled, 

 variable in shape but mostly oblong-ovate in outline, variously 

 lobed and notched ; lower leaves long-stalked and cabbage-like 

 and often 2 ft. or more long, with strong midrib and many 

 f)rominent side ribs, nearly entire in outline or shallowly wide- 

 lobed along the sides, the margins coarsely and irregularly 

 toothed or notched, undulate; stem leaves smaller and usually 

 more deeply lobed, variously notched, the upper ones short- 

 petioled : flowers about % in. across, white and showy, in 

 terminal broad corymbed racemes, on long stout upright pedi- 

 cels that elongate in fruit ; sepals oblong, hyaline-margined, 

 obtuse, about half the length of the 4 obtuse veined petals 

 which have an oval limb and clawed base; stamens 6, all 

 anther-bearing, 2 shorter, the longer ones with 1 to 3 notches 

 or branches at or above the middle; pistil 1, oblong-columnar, 

 with a large globose stigma, comprising two joints, of which 

 the lower one is short and barren and the upper one some- 

 what broadened at the middle and fertile: fruit (the "seed" 

 of seedsmen) a globular or globular-oblong pod or less to % 

 in. diam., borne on an apparent very short stalk above the 

 receptacle but which is the abortive lower point of the 2-jointed 

 silique, smooth, the walls thick and spongy ; seed single, large 

 and filling the cavity, suspended on a white stalk that arises 

 from or near the bottom of the cavity and extends alongside 

 the seed to the top ; pod and contents weigh about 100 mg. 

 for a fair full-grown specimen; full germinating power prob- 

 ably is retained for only a year or two. — Sea-coasts and clilfs, 

 western Europe; introduced to cultivation probably within 200 

 to 300 years, at least in England. The above description is 

 drawn from the cultivated plant, which differs considerably 

 In appearance from the wild plant observed by the writer 

 on sea-cliffs, the latter being more squat, with lower stature 

 and lopping simpler branches, the leaves smaller, more crinkly 

 and less cabbage-like. 



