120 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



As illustrating the origin of the many varieties of Brassica 

 oleracea by cultivation, Prof. Buckman raised varieties from the 

 seed of wild plants collected from Llandudno, " some having short 

 petioles and the close-hearting condition of Cabbages, both green 

 and red, the tendency [to vary] being much increased by repeated 

 transplanting. Others, with longer petioles and lyrate leaves, seem 

 to take on the looser method of growth of Kales, &c." With refer- 

 ence to persistency of form, Prof. Buckman adds : "It may be 

 remarked, as throwing some light on the nature of the changes 

 by which the cultivated varieties of this genus have been attained, 

 that experiments with seeds of plants showing any particular 

 tendency, and especially if repeatedly grown in the same soil, 

 will ever result in an increase of the same peculiarity." * 



Sea-kale. — Crambe maritima, L., natural order Cruciferce, 

 a native of various parts of the English coast. It was well 

 known to the Romans, who collected it wild, and preserved it in 

 barrels for use during long voyages. " It was called Halmyridia 

 from its growing on the sea-shore only."t Pliny's description of 

 preparing it with oil and salt is very suggestive of an origin of 

 Sauer-kraut. 



Unlike the Cabbage, which is prone to vary greatly, the Sea- 

 kale, like Asparagus, is a good illustration of a plant exhibiting 

 " persistence of type," the present cultivated form being but 

 slightly different from the wild one. It was not cultivated until 

 the eighteenth century (1767).+ 



Spinach. — Spinacia oleracea, L., nat. order Chenopodiacece. 

 This does not appear to be known wild, but may be a cultivated 

 form of S. tetrandra, Roxb., a native of Persia. It was unknown 

 to the ancient Greeks and Romans, being new to Europe in the 

 16th century. The name is derived from the Arabic " Esbanach," 

 which indicates its Eastern origin. Its cultivation is said to 

 have been common in Nineveh and Babylon. A Spinach 

 figured by Gerarde would seem to be some indeterminable form 

 of Chenopodium or Atriplex. It is noticed in Turner's Herbal 

 of 1568 as "an herb lately found and not much in use." 



Onions. — Allium species, natural order Liliacece. Those 

 species which are more or less in general cultivation are the 



* Treasury of Botany, " Brassica." 



f Pliny, Nat. Hist. bk. xix. c. 41. 



X See Treasury of Botany, " Crambe." 



