Monograph. When his work appeared in 1825, the num- 
ber of species amounted to seventy-seven, and thirty new } 
ones have since been added, making the total amount of z 
one hundred and seven Wood-Sorrels, found in South 
America alone. Zuccarint is of opinion that the bulbs of 
Oxatis do not belong to the roots, but to subterranean 
stems, and they exist of very various sizes, from the 
offsets or elongated stoloues of O. stricta, to the large 
tubers of O. crassicaulis. These differences depend wholly 
on the number, thickness, aud approximation (or the re- 
verse) of the scales, which, when fleshy, form by their close 
position, bulbs, analogous to those of Aturum. The roots i 
themselves are branching and fusiform ; they may exist a8 
singly, as in O. conorhiza; or spring from a bulb-bearing <e 
rhizoma (O. papilionacea) ; or be mingled with the bulbi- a 
ferous rhizomas, as may be observed in O. crassicaulis. ea 
_ The position of the leaves in this Genus is such, that the 
ninth leaf covers over the first, after three spiral turns. 
When the internodes are elongated, the leaves become 
closely grouped together, and some authors have even erro- 
neously termed them verticillate leaves (ex. O. distans, hedy- 
saroides, &c.) 
he arrangement of the stamens in Oxanis also presents 
a striking peculiarity. The longest, or internal stamens 
are alternate with the stigmas and petals, and opposite to 
the sepals, with which again the short or outward stamens 
arealternate. It might be supposed, strictly speaking, that 
one row of stamens, intermediate between the petals and 
the shortest stamens, becomes regularly abortive ; and this 
Seems the more probable, because the filaments of the 
longer stamens bear teeth which might be considered as 
the rudiments of the absent series. 
In Oxatis tetraphylla, however, the shorter filaments bear analo- 
gous teeth, so that it would appear as if there had existed, outside of 
them, a row of stamens opposite to the sepals, which would bring the 
primitive number of stamens in this Genus up to twenty-five, of which 
fifteen become constantly abortive, while ten are perfect. 
Descr. foot elongated, tuberous, and nodose, or bearing knots or 
teeth, with thickish scales. Leaves radical, numerous. Petioles long, 
terete, glabrous. Leaflets large, obcordate, with a deep notch. Ledun- 
cle elongated, terminated by a cyme of many bright-coloured flowers. 
elliptical-lanceolate, acute, with deep orange-coloured spots at 
apex of each. Petals deep rose-colour, oblique. Stamens with the fila- 
Styles united into a long ovate tube, glabrous, five longer than the others. _ 
perfectly erect, approximate, much longer than the stan 
globose. Capsule oblong-acuminate, with five sharp angles 
_ Fig. 1. Flower, with the P Bi 
Pistil. 5. Capsule. . ‘fed. removed. 2. Petal. 3. Stamens and + 
