580 MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



stamens 10; pistil 1; ovary 5-celled; ovules several in each cell; 5 separate 

 styles; pod 5-celled, opening loculicidally ; seeds 2 or more in each cell, the outer 

 coat dehiscent ; embryo large, endosperm present. The 250 species chiefly found in^ 

 the tropics. The Oxalis violacea with violet corolla is a common plant in woods- 

 and prairies. The O. corniciilata, a yellow flowered species, occurs from Penn- 

 sylvania to Illinois. The fresh juice of this is said to be an antidote against 

 poisoning from the seeds of Jimson weed. Several South American species- 

 like O. flava and O. Ortgiesi are cultivated indoors. The O. tetraphylla and 

 O. lasiandra with their crimson flowers are also handsome for indoor cultivation 

 The O. crenata of Peru is cultivated for its tuberous roots. 



Oxalis violacea L. Violet Wood Sorrel 



Perennial with brownish bulb and ciliate scales; leaves smooth; leaflets 

 obcordate, the midrib sometimes sparingly hairy; flowers in cymose clusters; 

 sepals 5; petals 5, violet purple; capsule ovoid; seeds flattened, rugose-tuber- 

 culate. 



Distribution. New England to Florida and New Mexico. 



Poisonous properties. Dr. Schaffner notes a case of poisoning as follows: 



"A case is recorded of a boy being thrown into violent convulsions by eating 

 a considerable quantity of the leaves." 



Prof. Hyams states that children have been known to die from constantly- 

 eating the raw herbs of O. grandis. 



LiNACEAE. Flax Family 



Herbs, rarely shrubs; stipules small or none; flowers regular and symmet- 

 rical, hypogynous; sepals 5, rarely 4, imbricated and persistent; petals 5, or 

 rarely 4, convolute; stamens 5, monadelphous at the base, alternate with the- 

 petals; pistil 1, 2-5-celled ; styles 2-5; fruit capsular; seeds 1-2 in each cavity; 

 cotyledons large, flat, without endosperm or with a small amount. A small 

 order of 4 genera and '90 species, mostly in the genus Linum. 



Linum (Tourn.) L. Flax 



Herbs, sometimes with a woody base with tough fibrous bark; leaves sessile; 

 stipules wanting or a pair of glands; flowers in cymes, racemes, or panicles; 

 sepals 5; petals 5, soon falling; stamens S; pistil 1 ; ovary 4-5-celled or becoming 

 divided by false partitions, making 10 cells; seeds shining with a mucilaginous 

 coat; large cotyledons. Several species commonly cultivated for ornamental 

 purposes. The blue-flowered L. perenne of the Rocky Mountains, and the 

 red garden flax {L. grandiflorum) a hardy annual from North Africa, are 

 cultivated. 



Linum usitatissiimiiii L. Flax. Linseed 



Annual; stem corymbosoly bronched at the tip; acuminate sepals; flowers, 

 broad; petals large, blue. Widely cultivated in the North and frequently spon- 

 taneous. 



Poisonous properties and uses. The blue-flowered annual (L. usilatissimum) 

 has been cultivated for centuries. The fiber has been found among the remains- 

 of the Swiss Lake dwellers. The ancient Egyptians as well as the Greeks and 

 Romans also used the fiber for the manufacture of cloth. It is extensively cul- 

 tivated in various European countries, fine fiber being produced in Belfast, Ire- 



