( 62 .) 
ERY'SIMUM* * * * § 
Linnean Class and Order. Tetradyna'mia f, Siliquo'sa+. 
Natural Order. Cruci'fera: §. Juss. Gen. Plant, p. 237. — 
Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 498. — Sm. Gram, of Bot. p. 138. — Cruci'- 
fera3, Suborder Notorhi'zea: |j, Tribe Sisymbriea:. Lindl. 
Syn. pp. 20 and 29 ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. pp. 14 to 18; Loudon’s 
Hortus Britannicus, p. 498. and Mag. of Nat. Hist. v. i. pp. 143 and 
240. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) nearly equal at the base. Sepals 
{ leaves ) 4, oblong, concave, upright, slightly coloured, deciduous. 
Petals (fig. 2.) 4, inversely egg-shaped-oblong, blunt, flat, their 
claws upright, the length of the calyx. Filaments (fig. 3.) 6, thread- 
shaped, simple, distinct, upright, with a gland between the shorter 
one at each side, sometimes also between the 2 longer ones, and the 
pistil. Anthers roundish-oblong, rather spreading. Germen (fig. 4.) 
oblong, 4-sided (quadrangular). Style very short. Stigma small, 
knobbed (capitate), notched, permanent. Pod ( siliqua ) (figs. 5 
and 8.) sessile, strap-shaped, equally 4-sided (quadrangular) ; Valves 
concave, keeled, right-angled (rectangular) ; Partition (fig. 6.) mem- 
branous, crowned with the style, and the more orless deeply 2-lobed 
stigma. Seeds egg-shaped, without a border, disposed in a single 
row. Cotyledons flat, incumbent (fig. 7.) 
The distinctly 4-sided pod, capitate, notched stigma, and flat 
incumbent cotyledons, will distinguish this genus from all others in 
the same class and order. 
Three species British. 
ERY'SIMUM CHEIRANTHOl'DES. Worm-seed Treacle- 
mustard. 
Spec. Char. Leaves spear-shaped, slightly toothed, roughish 
with starry, 3-parted bristles. Pods nearly upright, on spreading 
stalks. Stigma small, almost sessile. 
Fig.l. Calyx. — Fig. 2. Corolla. — Fig. 3. Stamens and Pistil. — Fig. 4. Ger- 
men, Style, and Stigma. — Fig. 5. Pod, or Siliqua. — Fig. 6. The same with the 2 
Valves separating from the base, showing the partition and seeds. — Fig. 7. A 
Seed with the testa or skin taken off to show the two Cotyledons, with the radi- 
cle lying on the back of one of them (cotyledons incumbent).— Fig. 8. A trans- 
verse Section of the Pod. — All, except figures 5 & 6, more or less magnified. 
* From eruo, Gr. to draiv, to cure; on account of its supposed salutary 
effects in Medicine. It is even now reckoned a powerful cure for the sore 
throat ; it is also said to draw and produce blisters. Mr. D. Don. 
t See Duaba Verna, p. 38, note t. 
t From siliqua, a. pod, the second order of the Linnean class Tetradynamia, 
containing those plants of that class which have a much elongated, strap-shaped, 
or cylindrical pod, with numerous seeds. Sir J. E. Smith observes, that the 
plants of the first order (Siliqulosa) are of more humble stature, though most 
inclined to be shrubby, while those of the second order (Siliqudsa) are larger, 
more upright, and generally herbaceous. 
§ See Draba Verna, p. 38. 
|| From not os, Gr. the back, and rhiza, Gr. a root ; from the position of the 
embryo-rootlet ( Radfcula), which in the plants of this suborder of the Cru- 
cijerce is folded on the back of one of the seed-lobes (Cotyledons) thus, Oil. 
When this is the case the Cotyl6dons are said to be incumbent. 
