230 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



II. 



Order Oxalidace^. 



Flowers regular, perfect. Calyx imbricate ; petals twisted 

 in the bud, clawed, deciduous. Stamens 10, the 5 opposite 



the petals shorter. Ovary 5 -celled, 

 with styles of different lengths in 

 different flowers. Fruit a fleshy 

 capsule. The seed has a fleshy 

 cup or arillus at the base. When 

 ripe, this turns suddenly inside 

 out, and the seed is shot off some 

 distance. 



Oxalis. — Usually stemless herbs with 

 compound leaves of 3 to many leaflets. 

 The leaves sleep at night and on very 

 cold days, and the flowers on very bright 

 days as well. 



Many species have underground bulbs 

 and fleshy stems. Oxalis is one of our 

 brightest winter flowers. Peeping out 

 in April and May, they clothe the veld 



Fig. 228. — Geraniuvt. I. Pistil with 

 honey-glands below the ovary. 

 11. Carpels splitting from the central 

 column of coherent margins. (From 

 Thome' and Bennett's "Structural 

 and Physiological Botany.") 



Fig. 229. — Pelargonium cucullaiuin. 1. Section through flower, 2^ sepals and 2^ petals 

 being removed ; Sp, hollow spur of upper sepal. II. Style with stigmas ready for 

 pollination. III. Diagram of flower. (From Edmonds and Marloth's " Elementary 

 Botany for South Africa.") 



