132 FLORA OF MADRAS. [Oxalis. 



2. Oxalis, Linn. 



Acid herbs, rarely woody. Leaves radical or cauline and alter- 

 nate, usually digitate, 3-many-foliolate. Flowers on axillary or 

 radical 1-many-flowered peduncles, usually unbellate, regular. 

 Sepals 5, imbricate. Petals 5, hypogynous, contorted. Disk 

 without glands. Stamens 10, filaments free or united at base. 

 Ovary of 5 1-many-ovuled cells ; styles 5, distinct. Capsule locu- 

 licidal. Seeds with an outer fleshy coat bursting elastically ; 

 albumen fleshy. 



OXALIS COKNICULATA, Linn. ; F. B. I. i. 486 ; W. & A. 142 ; Wt. 

 Ic. t. 18. 



A diffuse creeping weed with long-stalked trifoliolate leaves 



with obcordate leaflets ; flowers yellow, umbellate, on slender 



peduncles. 



Common in most Districts and at all elevations, especially 



troublesome in garden soil. 



3. Biophytum, DC. 



Annual or perennial herbs, often with woody stems. Leaves 

 crowded at the ends of the stem and branches, abruptly pinnate ; 

 leaflets opposite, oblique. Floivers dimorphous, in small umbels ; 

 peduncles terminal. Sepals 5. Petals 5, yellow, connate with 

 a salver-shaped corolla. Stamens 10, 5 inner ones longer ; fila- 

 ments free. Ovary 5-celled ; styles 5 ; stigmas notched or 2-fid. 

 Capsule dehiscing loculicidally into 5 spreading valves. Seeds 

 like those of Oxalis. 



Stem simple : 



Leaflet main nerves thick, rarely straight, irregular ; sepals usually 

 longer than the capsule : 



Leaflet main nerves numerous, secondary many ; leaflets many 

 pairs (8-15) ; peduncles long; seeds ovoid, acute: 



Leaflets nearly glabrous ; seeds prominently ridged, not tubercled ; 

 pedicels very short ("I in.) or ; stem generally short. ..1. sensitiuum. 

 Leaflets strigosely hirsute ; seeds ridged, the ridges with tubercled 

 margins; pedicels short (*l-*2 in.), slender; stem often long, 



sometimes stout 2. Candollcanum. 



Leaflet main nerves very few, secondary almost none ; leaflets few 

 (5-7) pairs ; peduncles very short or ; pedicels *2 in. long ; seeds 

 flattened, ovate, obtuse, with scattered tubercles and no ridges ; stems 

 slender 3. Apodiscias. 



