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BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
GENUS XI. 
THE SCURVY-GRASS. (Cochlearia, Lin.) 
Lin. Syst. TETRADYNAMIA SILICULOSA. 
Generic Character. —Silicula sessile, ovate, globose, or oblong ; valves ventricose. Seeds numerous, not bordered. Calyx equal, spreading. 
Petals entire. Stamens not toothed. Flowers white. Leaves usually fleshy. (Dec.) 
Description, &c. —The plants belonging to this genus have received their somewhat singular botanic name of 
Cochlearia from the spoon-like curve of their leaves. The English name of Scurvy-Grass alludes to the 
supposed anti-scorbutic properties of the common species. The Horse-Radish belongs to this genus. 
1. —THE COMMON SCURVY-GRASS. (Cochlearia officinalis, Lin.) 
Engravings. —Eng. Bot., t. 551 ; 2nd ed., t. 908 ; and our fig. 4, I Specific Character.— Radical leaves roundish ; those on the stem 
in PI. 10. I oblong and somewhat sinuated. Silicula globose. (Smith.) 
Description, &c. —This is an annual plant, growing on the sea coast of the South of England in great 
abundance, but almost always in muddy situations. The leaves are roundish and fleshy, with an agreeable 
flavour of salt when eaten. They were formerly much esteemed as an anti-scorbutic, and their juice was used as 
a cosmetic to clear the skin from all spots or other marks. Even at the present time the leaves are often mixed with 
salads, and they are both agreeable and wholesome when eaten with bread and butter at breakfast, in the same 
manner as Water Cresses. The Greenland Scurvy-grass (C. grcenlandica , Smith,) which is met with occa¬ 
sionally on the sea shore in Scotland, and very frequently on the Highland mountains, is supposed by some 
botanists to be only a dwarf variety of the common kind though others make it a distinct species. 
2.— THE ENGLISH SCURVY-GRASS. (Cochlearia anglica, Lin.) 
Engravings. — EDg. Bot., t. 552 ; 2nd ed., t. 910. I stem sessile, lanceolate, and toothed. Silicula elliptical, strongly 
Specific Character. —Radical leaves ovate, entire; those on the | reticulated with veins. (Smith.) 
Description, &c. —This is, perhaps, the handsomest species of the genus, as its flowers are large, and of a 
brilliant white ; while its leaves are small and rather delicately formed. It is common in muddy places by the 
sea shore in every part of Great Britain, and it is also met with occasionally on the summits of mountains. It 
bears considerable resemblance to the common species, except in its leaves being smaller, and its flowers larger ; 
and, as these vary exceedingly, it would sometimes be very difficult to distinguish between the two species, if it 
were not for the seed pod; which, in the English Scurvy-grass, is very distinctly and conspicuously veined, but 
in the common Scurvy-grass is quite smooth and plain. 
3.— THE DANISH SCURVY-GRASS. (Cochlearia danica, Lin.) 
Engravings. —Eng. Bot., t. 696 ; 2nd ed., t. 911. 
Specific Character. —Leaves all triangular and stalked. Silicula elliptical, reticulated with veins. (Smith.) 
Description, &c. —This plant is principally distinguished from the last by its dwarf habit, its spreading 
stems, and its ivy-shaped leaves. The flowers and seed pods are also much smaller than those of the English 
Scurvy-grass, though the seed pods are veined in the same manner. The plant is an annual, and it flowers in 
May and June. There is a variety with entire leaves. 
