^ o. [ 924 ]
C R A M B E maritima.
■ Sea Kale.
TETRADYN4MIA Siliculqfa,
Gen. Char. Pouch leathery, globular, without valves,
deciduous, containing one teed. The four longer
filaments with a tooth near their fummit.
Spec. Char. Leaves finuated, waved, glaucous,fmooth
as well as the ftem.
Syn. Crambe maritima. Linn. Sj>. PL 937. Sm. FI.
Brit. 695. Hudf. 299. With. 563. Hull. 143.
C. maritima, Brafficæ folio. Rati Syn. 307.
A N A T I V E o f fandy fea thores in various parts o f E n g lan d ,
flow e r in g in M a y and Ju n e. O u r fpec imen grew betw een
D o v e r and F olkftone . O n th e nor th coaft o f N o r fo lk the
S e a K a le m a y he found in abundance, and it can n ot be over?-
lo o k ed wherever it grows .
T h e perennial fle fh y root is branched at the fum m it into
m a n y b ran ch in g fpreading Items, w h ic h , lik e th e w h o le h e rb ,
are fmoo th , glaucous and fu c cu len t. L e a v e s la rge, alternate,
on (talks, o b lon g or roundith, waved, v a rio ufly lobed and
toothed. C o r ym b i te rm ina l, cluttered, fo rm ing a denfe p anic
le . F low ers numerous, w h ite . Calyx^leaves con ca ve , fpreadin
g . Petals w ith a la rg e , roundith, n otch ed , h o rizonta l lim b .
F o u r long er ttamina forked or toothed in their upper part, and
furnithed w ith a folita ry gland at their bafe. S tigm a feflile,
peltate. P o u ch globo fe , flethy, never fp littin g into valves, but
fa llin g o f f entire, and con ta inin g on e large feed.
M a n y perfons cultiva te this p lant for the fake o f its y o u n g
fhoots, w h ich fprout forth v ery early in the fpring, and, i f
fligh tly covered w ith fand, never fuffer from any degree o f
cold kn ow n in this c lima te . W h e n boiled th ey are not mu ch in ferior
to afparagus, w h ich th e y fomew h at refemble in flavour.
Ç 24 .