Kerguelen's Land Cabbage

Kerguelen's Land Cabbage (Pringlea antiscorbutica), the only known species of a very curious genus of plants of the natural order Cruciferae, found only in Kerguelen's Land. It has a long, stout, perennial root-stock, and a bolled head of leaves very similar to those of the common garden cabbage. Captain Cook first discovered this plant, and directed attention to it. The root-stocks have the flavour of horse-radish. The dense white heart of the cluster of leaves tastes like mustard and cress, but is coarser. The whole foliage abounds in a very pungent pale-yellow essential oil, which is confined in vessels that run parallel to the veins of the leaf. The Kerguelen's Land cabbage is used by voyagers, boiled either by itself, or with beef, pork, &c., chiefly on account of its antiscorbutic qualities.