\ 



752 



OXALIDEjE. I. AVERRHOA. 



pedicel. O ? I/ ? S. Native of the East Indies. This sin- 

 gular species appears to have tuberous roots. Leaves radical, 

 almost kidney-shaped. Flowers large, apparently purplish. 



Scape-bearing Touch-me-not. PI. -j foot. 



Cult. Impdtiens is a genus of beautiful and singular plants. 

 The seeds of the hardy annual kinds only require to be sown in 

 the open ground in a shady situation ; those of the frame and 

 stove kinds should be raised on a moderate hot-bed in spring, 

 and when the plants are about 2 inches high, they may be planted 

 out in the open border in a warm sheltered situation, but a few 

 of them may be kept in pots separately, and placed in a green- 

 house stove or hot-bed, to secure a sufficient quantity of seeds, 

 these should be planted in a light rich soil. The Impatiens sca- 

 piflora, if perennial, should be kept in the stove, and care should 

 be taken not to give it too much water in the winter, as from its 

 succulent nature it will be apt to rot at that season. 



ORDER LVII. OXALI'DE/E (plants agreeing with O'xalis in 

 important characters). D. C. prod. 1. p. 689. 



Calyx of 5 sepals (f. 122. a.), or S-parted (f. 121. a.) perma- 

 nent, equal. Petals 5 (f. 121. 6. f. 122. &.), hypogynous, equal, 

 sometimes cohering to each other at the very base, unguiculate ; 

 with straight claws and spreading limbs, spirally twisted in aestiva- 

 tion (f. 121. a.). Stamens 10 (f. 121. d. c. f. 122. c.); filaments 

 awl-shaped, erect, usually monadelphous at the base, 5 of which 

 are opposite the petals, inner ones longest (f. 122. c.). Anthers 

 2-celled (f. 122. c.), not adnate. Ovary free, 5-angled, 5-celled. 

 Styles 5 (f. 122. d.), filiform, sometimes all shorter than the 

 stamens (f. 122. d.~); these are called very short (f. 122. d.) in 

 the specific characters, sometimes longer than the outer stamens, 

 and shorter than the interior ones, these are called intermediate 

 in the specific characters ; sometimes all longer than the stamens, 

 these are called very long, or longer than the stamens in the spe- 

 cific characters. Stigmas usually pencil-formed (f. 1 22. d.~), also 

 capitate and somewhat bifid. Capsule ovate or oblong, somewhat 

 pentagonal, membranous, 5-celled, 5-10-valved, bursting length- 

 wise at the angles. Seeds few, fixed to the central axis (f. 121. 

 g.) of the cells, ovate, striated, younger ones inclosed in a fleshy 

 aril, but at length bursting elastically from the aril at the apex, and 

 the seeds are, therefore, thrown out at one end. Albumen carti- 

 laginously-fleshy. Embryo inverse, length of the albumen, with 

 leafy cotyledons, and a long superior radicle. Subshrubs or 

 herbs, rarely trees. Leaves alternate, rarely opposite or in 

 whorls, simple and variously compound. This order was for- 

 merly confounded with Geraniacece, but it is the opinion of Jus- 

 sieu and De Candolle that the species are more nearly allied to 

 Rutacea: and Zygophyllece, and that their character and pecu- 

 liar habit are quite sufficient to distinguish them. The beauty 

 of most of the species of O'xalis is very great, and of easy culti- 

 vation. Their properties are well known. All of them are 

 slightly acid, whence some have been employed as salads. Their 

 acidity is very agreeable, and depends upon the presence of a 

 small quantity of oxalate of potass. In some South American 

 species, oxalic acid exists in great abundance. Several species 

 are employed in Brasil as a remedy for certain fevers of that 

 country. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



1 AVERRHOA. Calyx 5-cleft (f. 121. a.). Berries large, ob- 

 long, 5-celled (f. 121. g.). Trees with impari-pinnate leaves. 



2 BIO'PHYTUM. Sepals 5. Stamens nearly free. Stigmas 

 emarginately bifid at the apex. Capsule ovate-globose. Sub- 

 shrubs or herbs with abruptly-pinnate leaves. 



3 O'XALIS. Sepals 5 (f. 122. a.), free, or connected at the 

 base. Stamens monadelphous at the base. Stigmas pencil-form- 

 ed (f. 122. (/.), rarely capitate or bifid. Capsule oblong or 

 cylindrical. Subshrubs or herbs. Roots tuberous or fibrous. 

 Leaves simple or 3-4-5-foliate (f. 122.). 



4 LEDOCA'RPUM. Calyx 5-parted, girded by 10 linear brae- 

 teas. Stamens permanent, free. Styles thickened. Small 

 branching shrubs with opposite, 3-parted, linear leaves. 



I. AVERRHO'A (in honour of Averrhoes of Corduba, a cele- 

 brated Arabian physician, who resided in Spain during the domi- 

 nation of the Moors ; he lived towards the middle of the 12th 

 century, and translated Aristotle into Arabic). Lin. gen. no. 

 576. Lam. ill. t. 385. Corr. ann. mus. 8. p. 71. t. 2. D. C. 

 prod. 1. p. 689. 



LIN. SYST. Decdndria, Pentagynia. Calyx, of 5 sepals (f. 

 121. a.), which are more or less joined together at the base. 

 Petals 5 (f. 121. b.). Stamens 5 (f. 121. c.), alternating with 

 the petals, or 10 (f. 121. c. d.) alternate ones, smaller, joined 

 together at the base into a short ring. Ovary angular. Styles 

 5, permanent. Berry large, oblong (f. 121. g.), 5-furrowed, 5- 

 celled, witli a few seeds in each cell, adhering to the central 

 angle (f. 121. g.). Embryo straight, in a fleshy albumen. 

 East Indian trees, with alternate, impari-pinnate leaves, with 

 alternate leaflets, racemose panicles of flowers, and eatable fruit. 

 The leaves of A. Bil'imba are irritable to the touch, as in Biophy- 

 tum sensitivum. 



1 A. CARAMBOLA (Lin. spec. 613.) calyxes smooth; limb of 

 petals roundish ; stamens 5 ; fruit with 5 acute angles ; seeds 

 arillate. fy . S. Native of the East Indies and all the warmer 

 parts of Asia, and is now cultivated in many parts of South 

 America. Rumph.amb. 1. p. 115. t. 35. Rheed. mal. 3. p. 51. 

 t. 43. and 44. Cav. diss. 7. t. 220. Tree with a spreading 

 head. Leaves have about 4-5 pairs of ovate, acuminated, entire, 

 stalked leaflets, the outer ones largest. Flowers lateral, scat- 

 tered, disposed in short racemes, usually rising from the smaller 

 branches, but sometimes from the larger ones or the trunk 

 itself. Calyx red. Corolla small, bell-shaped, with oblong- 

 ovate petals, which are variegated with purple and yellow. Fruit 

 the size of a hen's egg, acutely 5-cornered, with a yellow, thin, 

 smooth rind, and a clear watery pulp, in many sweet, in others 

 acid, with hardly any smell. Seeds small, oblong, angular, 

 flatted, and brown. The stamens are in 5 pairs, each pair 

 placed in the angles of the germ, only one stamen is fertile or 

 furnished with an anther ; the filaments are curved, adapted to 

 the shape of the ovary, they may be pressed down gently so as 

 to remain, and then when moved a little upwards rise with a 

 spring. Dr. Bruce gives a curious detailed account of the sen- 

 sitive qualities of the petioles, and even branches of this tree. 

 Rheede says the Carambola is a tree about 14 feet high, and 

 hardly a foot in girth, with a brown bark ; that it bears fruit 

 3 times a year, from the age of 3 to 50 years, that the root, 

 leaves, and fruit are used medicinally, either alone or with Areca 

 or Betel leaves ; that the latter, when ripe, are esteemed deli 

 cious ; unripe are pickled ; and that they are also used in dyeing 

 and for other economical purposes. Burman says that the acid 



