OXALIS 



THE BULB BOOK 



P^EONIA 



O. elegans. A pretty Peruvian 

 species about 6 ins. high, with broad 

 three-lobed leaves, purple or violet 

 underneath, and large purple flowers 

 in summer (Bot. Mag. t. 4490). 



O. enneaphylla. A distinct Wood- 

 Sorrel from the Falkland Islands, 

 with top-shaped tuberous root-stocks 

 sometimes 2 ins. long, and leaves 

 divided into from nine to twenty 

 grey-green leaflets. The white or 

 pale rose flowers, nearly l ins. 

 across, appear in June (but often 

 earlier and later in the year), and 

 are sometimes faintly veined with 

 purple. (Bot. Mag. t. 6256.) 



This is an excellent plant for moist 

 and shady nooks in the rock-garden. 

 It grows well in rich and well-drained 

 sandy loam. 



O. imbrlcata. A South African 

 species with three-lobed velvety 

 leaves and rosy flowers. The double- 

 flowered variety (flare pleno) is pretty. 



O. incarnata. A South African 

 plant about 6 ins. high, with spindle- 

 shaped root-stocks, and pale rosy 

 flowers. Quite hardy. 



O. lasiopetala. A native of Buenos 

 Ayres, with knotted tuberous root- 

 stocks, and many-flowered clusters 

 of deep rosy flowers (Bot. Mag. 

 t. 3932). Frame or greenhouse. 



O. lobata. A tuberous - rooted 

 species from Chili. Leaves grey- 

 green, and flowers yellow spotted 

 with red, produced at various times 

 (Bot. Mag. t. 2386). Hardy. 



O. luteola. A South African 

 species with bulb-like root-stocks and 

 yellow flowers nearly all the year 

 round. Hardy. 



O. monophylla. Root-stocks tuber- 

 ous. Leaves entire lance-shaped and 

 not divided into leaflets. Flowers 

 pale purple with a yellowish base, 

 borne singly on the stems. 



O. tetraphylla. A Mexican species 

 with top-shaped root-stocks. Leaves 



391 



composed of four leaflets, and clear 

 violet or lilac-purple flowers. (Lodd. 

 Bot. Cab. t. 790.) Hardy. 0. 

 Dei^pei is closely related, and is 

 probably only a variety. 



O. variabilis. This South African 

 plant has large bulbous root-stocks, 

 three-lobed dark green hairy leaves, 

 and cup-like flowers 2 ins. across, 

 varying in colour from purple to rosy- 

 lilac, white, and yellow hence the 

 specific name (Bot. Reg. t. 1505; 

 Bot. Mag. t. 1683, as 0. grandiflora ; 

 id. t. 1712, var. rubra). Hardy. 



O. violacea. A North American 

 species about 3 ins. high, having 

 blackish, spindle-shaped root-stocks, 

 three-lobed leaves reddish beneath, 

 and three to nine pink or rose 

 flowers on a stem (Bot. Mag. t. 

 2215). Hardy. 



PACHYRHIZUS (pachys, thick ; 

 rhiza, a root). Nat. Ord. Legum- 

 inosae. The only species of note is 

 P. angulatus, a native of the West 

 Indies, with long fleshy tuberous 

 roots, climbing stems 3 to 6 ft. long, 

 furnished with three-lobed sharp- 

 toothed leaves, and bearing spikes 

 of violet pea-like flowers in July and 

 August. P. tulerosus, with white 

 flowers, appears to be a variety. 



This plant may be grown in the 

 open air in summer, but requires the 

 protection of a greenhouse in winter. 

 It may be increased by seeds, cuttings, 

 or division of the root-stocks. In 

 the West Indies the green seed-pods 

 and the fleshy roots are eaten by 

 the natives. 



F.SJONIA (after Paeon, a physician, 

 who, according to legend, was the 

 first to employ the plant medicinally), 

 P^ONY, PEONY, or PIONY. Nat. Ord. 

 Ranunculacese. A genus consisting 

 chiefly of herbaceous plants, having 

 spindle-shaped, Dahlia -like roots, 



