64 



OXALIS rubrocincta. 



Red-edged Wood Sorrel. 



DECANDRIA PENTAGYNIA. 

 Nat. ord. Oxalidace.e. 

 OXALIS. Botanical Register, vol. ^. fol. 117. 



0. rubrocincta ; acaulis fragilis carnosa obsolete pubescens, foliis 3-foliolatis, 

 foliolis obcordatis intra marginem subtusque punctatis, scape apice bifido 

 ramis racemosis paucifloris, calyce pentagono petalis cuneatis rotundatis 

 breviore, stigniatibus biiobis fimbriatis staminibus brevioribus. 



Among the earth of Mr. Hartweg's Guatemala plants 

 this sprang up and flowered in the Garden of the Horticul- 

 tural Society in September 1841. It is a very neat looking 

 species, remarkable for the appearance of its leaves, which 

 are very succulent, brittle, having almost a crystalline frac- 

 ture, and bordered with a rich purple edge, within which is 

 a distinct row of deep purple dots, many of a similar kind 

 beinnr scattered over the under side of the leaf. When dried 

 all this marking disappears. 



The sepals too are deserving of notice. Two of them are 

 much larger than the others, with both their edges turned back; 

 a third has one edge only turned back, the other seeming to 

 be deficient ; the two others are very narrow, and have no 

 distinct edge whatever. This is shewn by fig. 1. which repre- 

 sents a calyx cut across. 



Fi^-. '2. shews one of the stigmas, with its ends broken up 

 into long fringes. Fig. 3. represents the stamens and styles 

 in their natural position with respect to each other. 



The transparency and delicacy of the texture of this 

 plant enables the observer to see very distinctly the beautiful 

 arrangement provided for feeding the leaflets by sap drawn 

 up fi'om the root. At first sight the leaf-stalk seems to consist 



