THE OXALIS. 143 



removed to a less sunny and cooler situation, that the 

 flowers may longer remain in perfection. Many species 

 will need to have the flower-stems, and often the foliage, 

 tied up to neat stakes, in order better to display the full 

 beauty of the blossom. When the bloom is over, the foliage 

 should be gradually ripened ; and, when half the leaf has 

 turned yellow, the pots sliould be turned on their sides, and 

 the ])ulbs allowed to remain dry until the season for replant- 

 ing. Mice are very fond of some of these bulbs, and care 

 must be taken to put them to rest in a place not disturbed 

 by their ravages. 



THE OXALIS. 



This family is very numerous ; about one hundred species 

 being enumerated. The mode of growth is very different, 

 some being true bulbs, and thus coming immediately within 

 the scope of our volume ; while others have tuberous, or rath- 

 er thickened, fleshy roots, and are thus only mentioned here 

 on the score of relationship. Many have a true stem, and 

 produce the tuft of leaves and flowers from the top ; and 

 this stem may be either above ground, or subterranean. 

 Some species seem to combine the bulbous and tuberous 

 nature, the subterranean stem producing little bulbs at the 



