210 OXALIDACE^. Oxalis. 



2. FLCERKEA. Willd. act. nat. cur. Berol. 3. (1801); Nutt. gen. 1. 

 p. 228 ; Lindl. in Hook. jour. bat. 1. p. 1. t. 113. 



Sepals 3 (rarely 4). Petals 3, shorter than the calyx. Stamens 6. Ova- 

 ries 2-3, tuberculate.— Leaves pinnately divided or parted; the divisions 

 mostly entire. 



J F. proserpinacoides (Willd. 1. c.)—Livdl. I. c.—F. uliginosa, Miihl. cat. 

 ^p. 36; Torr..' Ji. 1. p. 339; Varlivgt.fi. Cest. ed. 2. p. 213. F. lacastris, 

 Pers. syn. 1. p. 393. F. palustris, Nutt. I. c. Ncctris pinnata, Pursh.fi. 1. 

 p. 239. Cochlearia foliis pinnatifidis, &c. Gron. ! Virg. (excl. syn.) 



On the banks of rivers and in marshes, Northern States! (lat 41°) to 

 Pennsylvania! Avest to Missouri ! April-May.— Slightly succulent, pale 

 green. Stem decumbent, 3-10 or 12 inches long, slender. Leaves on slen- 

 der petioles: divisions about 5, lanceolate or oval, obscurely veined; the 

 lowermost o'Aen 3-lobed or toothed. Flowers small. Petals oblong, white, 

 about half the length of the calyx. Achenia large, commonly 2, rarely by 

 abortion solitary. 



Order XXXI. OXALIDACE^. DC. 



Sepals 5, equal, distinct or slightly cohering at the base, persist- 

 ent : aestivation imbricated. Petals 5, hypogynous, equal, unguicu- 

 late, deciduous: aestivation spirally twisted. Stamens 10, hypogy- 

 nous, more or less monadelphous : filaments subulate, those opposite 

 the petals longer than the others : anthers short, fixed by the middle, 

 introrse, often reflexed and appearing extrorse. Ovary of 5 united 

 carpels, situated opposite the petals : styles filiform, distinct : stigmas 

 capitate or penicillate, sometimes 2-lobed. Capsule usually membra- 

 naceous, ."j-lobed, 5.celled ; the carpels at length mostly separable to the 

 axis, opening by the dorsal suture, l-12.sreded. Seeds anatropous, 

 with a loose fleshy testa (aril of authors) which bursts elastically when 

 the seeds are ripe : albumen between cartilaginous and fleshy. Em- 

 bryo straight, as long as the albumen, with a rather long radicle : 

 cotyledons broad and foliaceous.— Stems with an acid juice. Leaves 

 mostly alternate, compound : petioles articulated at the base. 



1. OXALIS. Linn.; Gcertn.fr. t.WZ. 



Sepals distinct, or united at the very base. Capsule oblong or subglobose, 

 membranaceous. Seeds one or commonly several in each carpel : tegraen 

 5-10 ribbed, transversely rugose.— Perennial (rarely annual) herbs; caules- 

 cent or acaulescent. Leaves in North American species 3-foliolate (in others 

 rarely pinnate or reduced to a single leaflet), circinate in vernation : leaflets 

 distmctly articulated with the petiole, lobed or entire. Stipules coherent 

 with the base of the petiole, after the manner of Trifolium, or none.— Wood' 

 Sorrel. 



