152 OXALIDEZ. 
pedicel. ©? XY? S. Native of the East Indies. This sin- 
gular species appears to have tuberous roots. Leaves radical, 
almost kidney-shaped. Flowers large, apparently purplish. 
Scape-bearing 'Vouch-me-not. Pl. 4 foot. 
Cult. Impatiens is a genus of beautiful and singular plants. 
The seeds of the hardy annual kinds only require to be sown in 
the open ground in a shady situation ; those of the frame and 
stove kinds should be raised on a moderate hot-bed in spring, 
and when the plants are about 2 inches high, they may be planted 
out in the open border in a warm sheltered situation, but a few 
of them may be kept in pots separately, and placed in a green- 
house stove or hot-bed, to secure a sufficient quantity of seeds, 
these should be planted in a light rich soil. The /mpatiens sca- 
piflora, if perennial, should be kept in the stove, and care should 
be taken not to give it too much water in the winter, as from its 
succulent nature it will be apt to rot at that season. 
Orver LVII. OXALI'DEZ (plants agreeing with O’xalis in 
important characters). D.C. prod. 1. p. 689. 
Calyx of 5 sepals (f. 122. a.), or 5-parted (f. 121. a.) perma- 
nent, equal. Petals 5 (f. 121. b. f. 122. b.), hypogynous, equal, 
sometimes cohering to each other at the very base, unguiculate ; 
with straight claws and spreading limbs, spirally twisted in æstiva- 
tion (f. 121. a.). Stamens 10 (f. 121. d. c. f. 122. ¢.); filaments 
awl-shaped, erect, usually monadelphous at the base, 5 of which 
are opposite the petals, inner ones longest (f. 122. c.). Anthers 
2-celled (f. 122. ¢.), not adnate. Ovary free, 5-angled, 5-celled. 
Styles 5 (f. 122. d.), filiform, sometimes all shorter than the 
stamens (f. 122. d.); these are called very short (f. 122. d.) in 
the specific characters, sometimes longer than the outer stamens, 
and shorter than the interior ones, these are called intermediate 
in the specific characters ; sometimes all longer than the stamens, 
these are called very long, or longer than the stamens in the spe- 
cific characters. Stigmas usually pencil-formed (f. 122. d.), also 
capitate and somewhat bifid. Capsule ovate or oblong, somewhat 
pentagonal, membranous, 5-celled, 5-10-valved, bursting length- 
wise at the angles. Seeds few, fixed to the central axis (f. 121. 
g-) of the cells, ovate, striated, younger ones inclosed in a fleshy 
aril, but at length bursting elastically from the aril at the apex, and 
the seeds are, therefore, thrown out at one end. 
laginously-fleshy. 
Albumen carti- 
Embryo inverse, length of the albumen, with 
leafy cotyledons, and a long superior radicle.—Subshrubs_ or 
herbs, rarely trees. Leaves alternate, rarely opposite or in 
whorls, simple and variously compound. This order was for- 
merly confounded with Geraniàceæ, but it is the opinion of Jus- 
sieu and De Candolle that the species are more nearly allied to 
Rutàceæ and Zygophyllee, and that their character and pecu- 
liar habit are quite sufficient to distinguish them. The beauty 
of most of the species of O’xalis is very great, and of easy culti- 
vation. Their properties are well known. All of them are 
slightly acid, whence some have been employed as salads. Their 
acidity is very agreeable, and depends upon the presence of a 
small quantity of oxalate of potass. In some South American 
species, oxalic acid exists in great abundance. Several species 
are employed in Brasil as a remedy for certain fevers of that 
country. 
I. AVERRHOA. 
Synopsis of the Genera. 
1 Averruoa. Calyx 5-cleft (f. 121. a.). 
long, 5-celled (f. 121. g.). Trees with impari-pinnate leaves. 
2 Bio’puytum. Stigmas 
Sub- 
Berries large, ob- 
Sepals 5. Stamens nearly free. 
emarginately bifid at the apex. Capsule ovate-globose. 
shrubs or herbs with abruptly-pinnate leaves. 
3 O’xauis. Sepals 5 (f. 122. a.), free, or connected at the 
base. Stamens monadelphous at the base. Stigmas pencil-form- 
ed (f. 122. d.), rarely capitate or bifid. Capsule oblong or 
cylindrical. Subshrubs or herbs. Roots tuberous or fibrous. 
Leaves simple or 3-4-5-foliate (f. 122.). 
Calyx 5-parted, girded by 10 linear brac- 
teas. Styles thickened. Small 
branching shrubs with opposite, 3-parted, linear leaves. 
4 Lrepoca’RPuM. 
Stamens permanent, free. 
I. AVERRHO‘A (in honour of Averrhoes of Corduba, a cele- 
brated Arabian physician, who resided in Spain during the domi- 
nation of the Moors ; he lived towards the middle of the 12th 
century, and translated Aristotle into Arabic). Lin. gen. no. 
576. Lam. ill. t. 385. Corr. ann. mus. 8. p. 71. t. 2. D.C. 
prod. 1. p. 689. 
Lin. syst. Decdndria, Pentagynia. Calyx of 5 sepals (£ 
121. a.), which are more or less joined together „at the base. 
Petals 5 (f. 121. b.). Stamens 5 (f. 121. c.), alternating with 
the petals, or 10 (f. 121. c. d.) alternate ones, smaller, joined 
together at the base into a short ring. Ovary angular. Styles 
5, permanent. Berry large, oblong (f. 121. g.), 5-furrowed, 5- 
celled, with a few seeds in each cell, adhering to the central 
angle (f. 121. g.) Embryo straight, in a fleshy albumen.— 
East Indian trees, with alternate, impari-pinnate leaves, with 
alternate leaflets, racemose panicles of flowers, and eatable fruit. 
The leaves of 4. Bilimba are irritable to the touch, as in Bióphy- 
tum sensitivum. ; 
1 A. Carampora (Lin. spec. 613.) calyxes smooth ; limb of 
petals roundish; stamens 5; fruit with 5 acute angles ; seeds 
arillate. h.S. Native of the East Indies and all the warmer 
parts of Asia, and is now cultivated in many parts of South 
America.—Rumph. amb. 1. p. 115. t. 35 —Rheed. mal. 3. p. 51. 
t. 43. and 44,.—Cav. diss. 7. t. 220. Tree with a spreading 
head. Leaves have about 4-5 pairs of ovate, acuminated, entire; 
stalked leaflets, the outer ones largest. Flowers lateral, scat- 
tered, disposed in short racemes, usually rising from the smaller 
branches, but sometimes from the larger ones or the trunk 
itself. Calyx red. Corolla small, bell-shaped, with oblong- 
ovate petals, which are variegated with purple and yellow. Fruit 
the size of a hen’s egg, acutely 5-cornered, with’a yellow, thin, 
smooth rind, and a clear watery pulp, in many sweet, 1n others 
acid, with hardly any smell. . Seeds small, oblong, angular, 
flatted, and brown. The stamens are in 5 pairs, each pair 
placed in the angles of the germ, only one stamen 1s fertile or 
furnished with an anther; the filaments are curved, adapted to 
the shape of the ovary, they may be pressed down gently eh as 
to remain, and then when moved a little upwards rise wit 3 
spring. Dr. Bruce gives a curious detailed account of the ee 
sitive qualities of the petioles, and even branches of this tr f 
Rheede says the Carambola is a tree abont 14 feet hig uit 
hardly a foot in girth, with a brown bark ; that ıt bears rot 
3 times a year, from the age of 3 to 50 years, that the root, 
leaves, and fruit are used medicinally, either alone or with ial 
or Betel leaves; that the latter, when ripe, are esteemed Š 
cious ; unripe are pickled; and that they are also used in dyemg 
and for other economical purposes. Burman says that the ac 
