32 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



swollen and succulent subterranean parts, which might serve for 

 food. In Egypt the tubercules of Erodhim hirtiim are eaten ; in 

 Aiistralia those of Geranmrn jmrvifoliimi;^ at the Cape, the buds and 

 acid leaves of Pelargonium peltatum^ and acctosum? But it is especially 

 among the species of Chvalis that we find eatable leaves and tuber- 

 cules. The subterranean and swollen stems of 0. tetvapliijlla and 

 vMculcnia are eaten like potatoes in Mexico ; 0. Dcppci and crassl- 

 cauli are sold in Peru as edible. The Oca of Peru, so often eaten 

 as vegetables, and of which there are many varieties, are the tuber- 

 cules of Chilian species, such as 0. crenata, tiiberosa, carnosa*, etc. 

 Of many other species, the leaves which are acid like sorrel are 

 eaten cooked or in salad ; in France those of 0. Jcetosella^ (fig. 58- 

 63), and corniculata ; at the Cape, those of 0. compressa^ caprina., 

 and sonata^ and in America those of 0. frutescens^ Barrelieri^ and 

 enneaphjlla.1 etc., are so employed. When the leaves are very acid 

 the plants are good for fever and scorbutic affections. In Mexico 

 those of 0. conlata, in Peru of 0. chdecandra, and in BrazU, of 

 0. fulva, are so used. In this case they contain more or less oxalic 

 acid, and formerly salts of sorrel was extracted from 0. Acetosella, 

 corniculata^ etc., and even now it is done in Switzerland and Ger- 

 many. In India, 0. scnsitiva^ (fig. 67) is said to cure asthma, 

 consumption, and scorpion bites. This is one of the plants which 

 popular credulity, excited by the singular movements and irritability 

 of the leaves, has made a sort of fetish. Species of Ocvafis may also 

 contain colouring matter ; in America 0. rosea and racemosa do so. 



— p. multiradiatiim EcKL. et Zeth. — V. pan- •'See Endl. Enchirid. 625. CtUII!. op. cit. 



cifoUum EcKL. et Zeyh. — P. papaverifo/ium iii. 568. — Rosenth. op. cit. 896. 



EcKL. et. Zeyh. — Ocraiiiiim triste Cav. Diss. ^ L. Spec. 620. — jAca. 0.tal. n. 91, t. 80, fig. 



t. 107. The swollen steins are also edible. 1. — DC. Prodi: i. "00, n. 123. — Ghen. et Gonii. 



1 W. £«!(»(. 716.— Benth. ^;. ji«s<»W.i.29G. Fl.dcFr.i. 325.— GriB. op. cit. iii. 567, fig. 



Var. (?) du G. dissection. L. [Natice Carrot in 731.— Lindl. Fl. Med. 222.— Rev. Fl. Med, dn 



V.in-Diemen). xix. Siieic iii. 366, t. 4).— Caz. Tr. dcs Vhiid. 



- Ait. Bort. Kew. ii. 427 —Cav. Diss. t. 100. Med. Ind. ed 3, 50. Snrelte, Siirelle, Alklnia, 



fig. 1. — Bot. Mag. t. 20. — V. scatatnm UC. llerhe de Puqnes, Herbe de hcenf. Pain de coiicou, 



{Geraninm-Lierre) . Trefle air/re, Oscille a trois fenilles.) 



'■^ XiT. Mort. Kew. ii. 430. — Harv. et Sond. I" Several other species of O.fff^i < are also used ; 



Fl. Cap. i. 298. At the Cape the dried resinous at the Cape, O. compressa and caprina ; in the 



and balsamic stems ot Mansonia Bnrmanni (DC. Antilles, 0. Plumieri ; in Chili, 0. fnberosa, etc. 



Prodr.l. 638;— Endl. Enchirid. 621 ;— Sirn-o- ? L. *>(■<■. 622.— J acq. (leal. Mou. n. 21, t. 



canton Burmanni Habv. et Soxd. Ft. Cap. i. 78, fig. 4. — Rumph. Herb. Amhoin. v. t. 104, 



256 ; — Gcruiiiuni spinosnm Cav. Diss. t. 75, fig. fig. 2. — Rheede. Sort. Malabar. 9, t. 19. — Bia- 



2), used frequently to make torches. phtjtum scnsilivam DC Prodr. i. 690. 



