334 Successful Treatment of Oxalis tetraphylla. 



by the stamina. The ovary is the seed vessel in an incipient 

 state, and forms the base of the pistiUum. The style is a 

 continuation of the ovary, in a more slender form, and serves 

 to elevate the stig-ma, and, by its inflections in numerous 

 instances, to adapt it the better to receive the pollen. 



When a flower is furnished with any appendage, or 

 multiplication of any of its parts, beyond what it has in its 

 true natural state, such flower is considered a veg-etable 

 monster. This circumstance is supposed to arise principally 

 from an excess of nutriment, and hence it is termed luxu- 

 riant. A double or full flower (flore pleno) is produced when 

 not only all the stamens, but the pistil also, becomes corol- 

 laceous: this is exemplified in* Cheiranthus and its natural 

 allies, and in Ranunculus, R6sa, &c. ; these rarely, with the ex- 

 ception of Rosa, if ever, produce seed, the parts for that office 

 being wholly transfoirmed.; An aggregate flower being 

 composed of a number «0i^ florets closely set together (the 

 flower of the common dandelion is a good example), has more 

 the resemblance of a luxuriant flower than any other natural 

 flower has. Yours, &:c., 



J. W. Russell. 



Mount Auburn, Cambridge, Aug. 7, 1835. 



Art. VIII. Successful Treatment of Oxalis tetraphylla. By R. 



About the first of July, I planted in a pot, scarcely cover- 

 ing them, the bulbs of this little flower, and watered them 

 in a most profuse manner. Although, at the time of potting, 

 there were no symptoms visible of renewed vegetation, yet, 

 in three weeks, they had made strong and vigorous flower 

 stems, finer indeed than I had ever seen before. 



The bulbous Oxalidese are generally natives of tropical 

 countries, and are described by travellers as forming a part 

 of the hybemal glories of those regions. Their growth is 

 therefore periodical and rapid. During the dry season, 

 which is most of the year, they remain in the ground in a 

 desiccated and dormant state; but no sooner do the winter 

 rains commence, than the former parched surface of the 

 ground is suddenly covered with these joyous and delicate 

 harbingers of a cooler season. 



The Oxalis tetraphylla is a native of Mexico. Its roots are 

 small scaly bulbs; leaves in fours; leaflets obcordate, emar- 



