THALASnFLOR^. 



509 



Natural Order 66. Oxalidace^. — The Wood-Sorrel Order 

 {figs. 904—906). — General Character. — Herbs, or rarely 



Fig. 904. 



Fig. 905. 



Fig. 906. 



Fig. 904. 



Diagram of the flower of Oxalis Fig. 905. Vertical section of the 



flower of the same Fig. 906. Vertical section of the seed. 



shrubs, or trees, generally with an acid juice. Leaves alternate, 

 or rarely opposite, usually compound, or occasionally simple ; 

 generally with stipules, or rarely exstipulate. Flowers regular 

 and symmetrical. Sepals 5 (fig. 904), persistent, imbricate, 

 occasionally slightly coherent at the base. Petals 5 (Jig. 904), 

 hypogynous (fig. 905), rarely wanting, unguiculate ; cestivation 

 twisted. Stamens double the number of the petals and sepals 

 (fig. 904), arranged in two rows alternating with each other, 

 the inner row longer than the outer (fig. 905) and opposite to 

 the petals ; anthers 2-celled, innate. Ovary superior (fig. 905), 

 3 — 5-celled, with as many distinct styles as there are cells j 

 stigmas capitate, or somewhat bifid. Fruit usually capsular 

 and 3 — 5-ceIled, and 5 — 10-valved, occasionally drupaceous and 

 indehiscent ; placentas axile (fig. 905). Seeds few, sometimes 

 provided with a fleshy integument, which bursts with elasticity 

 when the fruit is ripe, and expels the seeds ; embryo (fig. 906) 

 straight, in cartilaginous fleshy albumen ; radicle long, and 

 turned towards the hilum ; cotyledons flat. 



Diagnosis. — Herbs, or rarely shrubs, or trees, usually with 

 compound exstipulate leaves. Stems continuous, and not 

 separable at the joints. Flowers hypogynous, regular, sym- 

 metrical. Sepals, petals, and stamens with a quinary distri- 

 bution ; the sepals persistent and imbricated ; the petals 

 twisted in sestivation ; the stamens commonly somewhat mona- 

 delphous, with 2-celled anthers. Styles filiform, distinct. Fruit 

 3 — 5-celled, without a beak. Seeds few, with abundant 

 albumen, and a straight embryo. 



Distribution, ^c. — These plants are generally distributed 

 throughout both the hot and temperate regions of the globe ; 



