3-> NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



swollen and succulent subterranean parts, which might serve for 

 food. In Egypt the tubercules of Erodiiim hirtum are eaten ; in 

 Australia those of Geranium parvifolium]^ at the Cape, the buds and 

 acid leaves of Pelargonium peltatum" and acetosum? But it is especially 

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

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

 esculenta are eaten like potatoes in Mexico ; 0. Deppei and crassi- 

 caiili 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 sj^ecies, such as 0. crenata., tuhcrosa^ 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 corniciilata ; at the Cape, those of 0. compressa, caprina, 

 and zonata, and in America those of 0. frutescens^ Barrelieri, and 

 enneaj)hylla, etc., are so employed. When the leaves are very acid 

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

 those of 0, cordata, in Peru of 0. dodecandra, and in Brazil, 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. sensitiva^ (fig. 67) is said to cure astlmia, 

 consumption, and scorpion bites. This is one of the j^lants which 

 popular credulity, excited by the singular movements and ii-ritability 

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

 contain colouring matter ; in x\merica 0. rosea and raccmosa do so. 



— p. inidtiradiatiim EcKL. et Zeyh. — F. pan- * See Endl. Eiichirid. 62.5. Uuin. op, cit. 



eifoUum EcKL. et Zeyh. — /*. papaverifoUum iii. 568. — Eosentu. op. cit. 896. 



EcKL. et. ZE\n.—Ocraiiiiim tri.ite Cav. Diss. * L. Spec. 620.— Jacq. OjuL n. 91, t. 80, fig. 



t. 107. The swollen stems .ire also edible. 1. — DC. Proili: i. 700, n. 123. — Gren. et Godr. 



1 W. i'«n«i. 716.— Bentii. F/. ^«M<»-«;.i. 296. Fl.deFr.\. 325.— Gum. op. cit. iii. 567, fig. 



Var. (?) du G. disscctum. L. {Native Carrot in 731.— Lindl. Fl. Mtd. 222.— Rev. Fl. Med, dit 



Van-Diemen). xix. Siècle iii. 366, t. 4).— Caz. Tr. des Plai.t. 



^ Ait. Hort. Keio. ii. 427 —Cav. I)i><s. i. 100. Mêd. hid. éd 3, 50. Surette, Siirclle, Alleluia, 



fig. 1. — Hot. Maij. t. 20. — P. scutatitm UC. Herbe de Pâques, Herbe de bœuf, Pain de coucou, 



{Crcraniiim-Zierre) . Trejlc aii/re. Oseille à trois feuilles.) 



^ Ait. Hort. Kew. ii. 430. — Harv. et Sond. I" Several other species of Oa:«/i s are also used ; 



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



and balsamic stems of Mansonia Hurmainn (DC. Antilles, 0. Plumieri ; in Chili, 0. tiiberosa, etc. 



Prodr. 1. 638 ;— Endl. Enchirid. 621 ■,—Sarco- 1 L. Spee 622.— Jacq. 0.xal. Mon. n. 21, t. 



caiilon Buriiianni Harv. et Sond. Fl. Cap. i. 78, fig. 4. — Rvmph. Herb. Ainboin. v. t. 104, 



266 ; — Geriinium spiiiosiim Cav. Hiss. t. 75, fig. fig. 2. — Rheede. Hurt. Malabar. 9, t. 19. — Pju- 



2), used frequently to make torches. phytum sensitivum DC. Prodr, i. 690. 



