GARLIC MUSTARD — continued. 
deltoid, cuneate at the base, and coarsely dentate. All of them are generally slightly 
hairy on their under surfaces. The flowers appear in May and are individually 
about a quarter of an inch across, but are massed into corymbs often of considerable 
diameter. A succession of blossom is often maintained until late in the summer. 
Honey is secreted by the glands at the base of the short stamens ; but as the flowers 
are homogamous and appear early in the season, when there are few insects about, 
they are probably largely self-pollinated. 
The pods are borne on short, stout, spreading stalks, but themselves rise erect, 
with a slight curve, to a length of two and a half inches. 
All the popular names of the plant refer to its powerful odour of garlic when 
bruised. This odour, which is not noticeable until the plant is bruised, is identical 
in every way with that of the Monocotyledonous genus Allium^ though it is related 
chemically to the pungent sulphur-compounds in other Cruciferce. Garlic Mustard is 
apparently quite a modern name ; and, in fact, mustard is not a very old word in our 
language. Leek-cress is an appropriate Early English name ; and, no doubt. Poor 
Man s Treacle is also old. The first reference to the species as a British plant is in 
William Turner’s “ Libellus de re herbaria” (1538'), on the first page of which 
appears : — 
“Alliaria est herba passim in sepibus proveniens circinato folo [query, folio] allium odore mire referens. Hec est 
(ni conjectura fallet) iauce alone^ aut ut alii uocant Jak of the hedged 
This we may translate : — 
“ Alliaria is a herb occurring everywhere in hedges wonderfully recalling garlic by its smell when the leaf is rolled up. This 
(unless the identihcation is erroneous) is ^auce aloncy or, as others call it. Jack of the hedge,** 
Gerard says of it : — 
** Divers eate the stamped leaves heerof with salt fish, for a sauce, as they do those of Ramsons.” 
It is stated that this rank taste is even more marked in the seeds than in the 
rest of the plant. The milk of cows feeding on this plant acquires its unpleasant 
flavour ; as also, it is said, does the flesh of chickens if they eat it. 
From an agricultural point of view this plant is probably a very harmful weed, 
since its young foliage affords food to the Flea Beetle or Turnip Fly [Haltica, or 
Phyllotreta^ nemorum) before the turnips are ready for them. This is equally true of 
Charlock and Shepherd’s-purse ; but, if these three weeds were kept under, it would 
almost certainly much reduce this destructive insect. 
