C R A 
which thefe fucculent plants are apt to imbibe ; and 
thereby becoming too replete with moifture, often 
call their leaves, and many times their branches alfo 
-decay, and the whole plant perifties. 
COURBARIL. See Hymen^a. 
COWSLIP. See Primula. 
C R A B-T REE. See Malus. 
CRAMBE. Lin. Gen. Plant. 739. Tourn. Inft. R. 
H. 21 1. tab. 100. Gr.j Sea Cabbage. 
The Characters are, 
The empalement of the flower is compofed of four oval 
concave leaves which fpread open. The flower hath four 
petals , placed in form of a crofs , which are large , ob- 
long , and fpread open •, it hath fix ftamina , two of which 
are the length of the empalement, the other four are longer , 
and bifid at their points thefe are terminated by Jingle 
fummits , which branch into threads on their outjide. The 
petals have honey glands on their infide , which are longer 
than the flamina. It hath an oblong germen , but no ftyle , 
crowned by a thick ftigma. The germen afterward becomes 
a round dry cap fule , with one cell , inclofing one roundifh feed. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond leftion 
of Linnaeus’s fifteenth clafs, intitled Tetradynamia 
filiquofa, the flower having four long and two fhort 
ftamina, and the feeds growing in pods. 
The Species are, 
1. Crambe ( Maritima ) foliis cauleque glabris. FI. Suec. 
570. Sea Cabbage with fmooth ft alks and leaves. Crambe 
maritima brafficas folio. Tourn. Inft. 21 1. 
2. Crambe ( Suecica ) foliis profunde laciniatis, caule 
eredto, ramofo. Sea Cabbage with leaves deeply cut , and 
an upright branching ftalk. 
3. Crambe [Orientalis) foliis fcabris, caule glabro. Lin. 
Sp. Plant. 67 1. Sea Cabbage with rough leaves and a 
fmooth ftalk. Crambe foliis & foliolis alternatim pin- 
natifidis. Prod. Leyd. 330. 
4. Crambe {Hifpanica ) foliis cauleque fcabris." Hort. 
Upfal. 193. Sea Cabbage with rough ft alks and leaves. 
Rapiftrum maximum rotundifolium monofpermum. 
Corn. Canad. 147. 
The firft fort fends out many broad fmooth leaves, 
which are deeply jagged on their fides in obtufefeg- 
ments, and are of a grayilh colour, fpreading near the 
ground •, between thefe arife a thick fmooth foot-ftalk 
about one foot high, which fpreads out into many 
branches, which have at each joint one leaf of the 
fame form as thofe below, but much lefs ; thefe foot- 
ftalks fubdivide again into many fmaller, which are 
garniflied with white flowers, growing in a loofe ob- 
tufe fpike, compofed of four concave petals, placed 
in form of a crofs ; thefe are fucceeded by round dry 
feed-veffels about the fize of large Peafe, having a 
Angle feed in each. It flowers in June, and the feeds 
ripen in autumn. The roots of this fort creep under 
ground, whereby it propagates very faft. 
The feeds of the fecond fort were fent me from Pe- 
terlburgh for the firft fort, from which it differs 
greatly. This hath a perennial root, which fends 
out feveral oblong, fmooth, pointed leaves, irregu- 
larly cut on their fides into acute fegments almoft to 
the midrib ; thefe are very fmooth, and of a fea-green 
colour : between thefe arife the ftalk, which grows 
three feet high, garnifhed below by oblong pointed 
leaves, which are acutely indented on their edges. 
The .ftalks branch out into many fmaller, and thefe 
fubdivide again into lefs, which are garnifhed with 
loofe fpikes of white flowers like thofe of the firft 
fort, which are fucceeded by feeds of the fame form. 
This differs greatly from the firft in the fhape of its 
leaves, which are longer, ending in points, and the 
fegments do the fame •, whereas thofe of the other are 
blunt, and not half fo deeply cut. The ftalks rile 
more than twice the height of the firft, branch out 
more, and the branches grow more eredt ; and thefe 
differences are conftant, where the plants of both forts 
grow in the fame foil. 
The third fort grows naturally in the Eaft. This 
hath a biennial root, from which arife many leaves 
in the fpring,_ that are alternately divided to the mid- 
and theie divifions are again alternately cut on 
C R A 
their edges into many points, fo that they have the 
appearance of winged leaves, and are of a grayilh 
colour. The ftalks rife about two feet high, and di- 
vide into many branches, which are terminated by 
loofe panicles of fmall white flowers, placed in form 
of a crofs, which are fucceeded by fmall round cap- 
fules, each containing a Angle feed. This flowers in 
June, and the feeds ripen in autumn, foon after which 
the roots decay. 
The fourth fort is an annual plant, which grows na- 
turally in Spain and Italy. This rifes with a very 
branching ftalk near thrpe feet high, garniflied with 
roundifh heart-fhaped leaves, indented on their edges. 
Handing upon long foot-ftalks ; the branches fubdi- 
vide into many flender ones, which end in long 
loofe fpikes of fmall white flowers, which are fuc- 
ceeded by fmall, round, dry feed-veffels, which con- 
tain a Angle feed. The leaves and ftalks of this fort 
are rough. It flowers in June, and the feeds ripeia 
in autumn. 
The firft fpecies is found wild upon fea-ftiores in di- 
vers parts of England, but particularly in Suffex and 
Dorfetfhire in great plenty, where the inhabitants ga- 
ther it in the fpring to eat, preferring it to any of the 
Cabbage kind ; as it generally grows upon the gra- 
velly fhore, where the tide overflows it," the inhabi- 
tants obferve where the gravel is thruft up by the 
Ihoots of this plant, and open the gravel, and cut the 
flioots before they come out, and are expofed to the 
open air, whereby the flioots appear as if they were 
blanched •, and when they are cut fo young, they are 
very tender and fweet ; but if they are buffered to 
grow till they are green, they become tough and bitcer. 
This plant may be propagated in a garden, by low- 
ing the feed foon after it is ripe, in a fandy or gra- 
velly foil, where it will thrive exceedingly, and in- 
creafe greatly by its creeping roots, which will foon 
overfpread a large fpot of ground, if encouraged j 
but the heads will not be fit to cut until the plants 
have had one year’s growth : and in order to have it 
good, the bed in which the plants grow, lhould, at 
Michaelmas, be covered over with band or gravel 
about four or five inches thick, which will allow a 
proper depth for the flioots to be cut before they ap- 
pear above ground; and if this is repeated every 
autumn, in the fame manner as is pradtifed in earth- 
ing of Afparagus-beds, the plants will require no 
other culture. This may be cut for ufe in April 
and May, while it is young ; but if the flioots are 
buffered to remain, they will produce fine regular 
heads of white flowers, which appear very handfome, 
and will perfedt their feeds, by which they may be pro- 
pagated. 
The other forts are only preferved in curious gardens 
of plants for variety, but are not of any ufe or beau- 
ty. The perennial forts may be propagated in the 
fame manner as the firft. 
C R A N E’s-B ILL. See Geranium. 
CRANIOLARIA. Lin. Gen. Plant. 670. Mar- 
tynia. Houft. Gen. 
The Characters are, 
The flower hath a permanent empalement , compofed of 
four fhort narrow leaves which fpread open , with a large 
fwollen head , which is cut longitudinally on the fide. The 
flower hath one petal, which is unequal, having a very long 
narrow tube, whofe brim is divided into two lips ; the up- 
per being roundifh and entire, but the under is divided into 
three parts , the middle fegment being the largeft. It hath 
four ftamina , two of which are the length of the tube, 
and two are Jhor ter ; thefe are terminated by Jingle fum~ 
mits \ at the bottom of the tube is Jitudted an oval germen, 
fupporting a f ender ftyle, crowned by an obtufe thick flig- 
ma. The germen afterward becomes an oval leathery 
fruit, pointed at both ends, opening with two valves, in- 
clofing a deprejfed woody nut, pointed at both ends, and 
recurved, having two or three furrows , fo as to refemble a 
Jkull, opening in two parts. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fec- 
tionof Linnasus’s fourteenth clafs, intitled Didyna- 
mia Angiofpermia, the flowers having two long and 
4 r two 
\ 
