28 
THE NATURALISTS’ JOURNAL. 
smooth and not crumpled as in the savoys and other varieties. 
Perhaps no other variety contains such an immense number of 
forms as this one. In the white cabbages, a classification of De 
Candolles’ exists as follows :—(i) with oblong heads (2) with con¬ 
ical heads (3) with large round heads (4) flat heads (5) obovate 
heads. Not a very elegant one, certainly, but expressive and 
concise. Each of these sorts has good points either in size, 
flavour, or season of maturity. The red cabbage is a well marked 
variety with purplish brown leaves and is chiefly used for pre¬ 
serving. 
B. oleracea bullata —Savoy cabbage. This differs little from 
the rest of the heading or hearting cabbages. Its leaves how¬ 
ever are wrinkled in a reticulate manner. It is a useful winter 
vegetable of over three centuries of cultivation, but is perhaps on 
the whole less delicately flavoured than some other varieties. 
And now we come to the fourth class. This includes the Cauli¬ 
flower and Broccoli. B. oleracea botrytis cauliflora. —The cauli¬ 
flower is only a cabbage with an abnormally developed flower 
head. Instead of the leaves being eaten in this variety it is the 
succulent flower head that forms the esteemed portion. It is 
generally of a creamy white colour though sometimes reddish 
purple. Italy is credited with the honour of being the origin of 
this form. The precise date of its introduction into this country 
is uncertain. Gerarde however mentions it so that it is probable 
that it was in cultivation during the 15th century if not before. 
B. oleracea botrytis asparagoides. —The Broccoli, a variety of the 
Cauliflower and similar in appearance. Introduced in last century 
from Italy, since then many sub. varieties have arisen, each 
claiming some particular feature which the others have not. 
Miller mentions two kinds (1724), the white and purple. The 
stem of the Broccoli is longer and stouter, and the flower heads 
smaller than the cauliflower, its more hardy character too, makes 
it a welcome addition to our gardens during the winter months, 
when the cauliflower cannot be obtained. When the flower 
heads are of the creamy white colour that characterises the cau¬ 
liflower, the two plants are scarcely to be distinguished from each 
other. The Broccoli is less delicately flavoured than the latter. 
The fifth class is represented by Broccoli Sprouts. This form 
is only of recent introduction. It is similar in growth to the 
Brussels sprouts excepting that the sprouts springing from the 
axils of the leaves are floivering ones. Before closing the list of 
varieties I must not omit to mention the curious modification 
known as Kohl Rabi. This is the B. oler. Kohl Rabe or Turnip 
stemmed cabbage, In this peculiar plant the stem is much 
swollen at the base of the leaves and resembles a turnip from its 
tumid nature. The leaves are eaten as other greens are, and in 
addition there is the thickened root which is boiled like a turnip, 
much resembling that useful culinary vegetable in taste, or used 
