THE 
BRITISH HERBAL. 
CLASS XVI. 
Plants whofe fiower is compofed of four petals, placed cr of -ways, and 
lohofe feed-vefel is a short pod or shale. 
THESE arc the plants authors call filicuhf.e. They agree in all rcrpe(as with thofe of the 
preceding clafs ; except in this, ot the fhape and ftniflure of the fruit, which is always truly 
diftinft, and is an eflential claffical charafter. The filuula, or Jliale, is of a rounded or 
- nightly angulatcd form, and is terminated by a long point which was in the flower, the flyle. It is 
always compofed of two fides or valves, and fplits open lengthwife along their edges. 
Linnieus places this clafs among the tetradynamia, diflinguilhing it after the manner of moft others 
from the filiquofe plants, or thofe whofe feed^veltl is a regular pod, only by a fubordinate arrange- 
ment. The difference, however, is fufficicnt very well to fupport the difpofing them in ftparate 
clafTes; and hence will arife lefs confufion. The young botanifl: will always find his progrefs in the 
fcience the eafier, the greater is the number of diftintftions, provided they have juft foundation in 
nature. His perplexity always arifes from the great number under one general head. 
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SERIES I. 
Natives of Britain. 
Thofe of which one or more fpecies are found naturally wild in this country. 
GENUS I. 
SEA COLEWORT. 
C R J M B E. 
THE flower is compofed of four petals, which are placed regularly in a crofs dire(ftion ; thefe arc 
" of an oval figure, and have very flender bottoms : the cup is'forn^ed of four little leaves, of an 
oblong, oval figure, and falls with the flower : the fecd-vefTcl is of an irregular figure, roundifli, 
but fomewhat oblong, and railed into four ridges, which terminate in one or more points. 
This Angular genus feems intended by nature to conneft the filiquofe and the filiculofe kinds, or 
thofe with long and fhort pods, whofe flowers are alike ; accordingly authors have been divided in 
opinion under which of tliefe two heads to arrange it. Ray places it among the filiculofe, and Lin- 
nJEUs among the filiquofe : but the flrudlure of the pod, when carefully examined, determines for the 
firft named diftribution. 
Linnaeus ranges it among the tetra^ynamia ; four of the fix threads in its flower being longer than 
the other two, as in the reft of this, and the preceding clafs. 
As we have no proper Englilh name for the genus, it will be more proper to ufe the name craml.e. 
Linnseus 
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