276 38. Acetosa. 15. POLYGONiE. Pl.ex.mon. 



VI. 38. ACETOSA. Brunsfel. Swrel 



Perigoniuvi 6-pai'ted ; 3 inner lobes persisting, girding 

 the fruit, not tubercled at bottom; 3 outer smaller, re- 

 flected ; stamens 6 ; styles 3 ; stigmata 3 ; thecidlum 3-angu- 

 lar; corcukim lateral, peripherical. — Root fibrous or creep- 

 ing; lierh acid; flowers in half whirls, racemose or pa- 

 nicled, hermaphrodite or unisexual. 



1. Acetosa prate?isis. Meadow sorrel, 

 heaves oblong, sagittate, with barbs turned backwards; 



root f\bxowSi',Jiowers unisexual; valves not cut. 



Acetosa pratensis, C. Bnuli. Pm. 114; Miller Did. 

 Lapatlmm acetosum vulgare, Eaii Syn. 143, 12. 

 Oxalis,sive Acetosa, Ger.em. S93, I. 

 Acetosa vulgaris, Park. 742. 

 Rumex Acetosa, Lin. S. P. 481. 

 Lapathum acetosum, Scopoli Cam. 2, 438. 

 Common sorrel. Garden sorrel. Sorrel dock. 



Fields and pastures ; perennial ; June. 



Stem leafy, 3 feet high; radical leaves petiolate, blunt; 

 upper sessile, pointed ; thecidium shorter than the valves. 

 — Root dried gives a beautiful red colour to water, as if 

 changed to wine ; leaves acid, used in salads and sauces ; 

 expressed juice cleared by settling, and evaporated, yields 

 an essential salt, sold for salt of lemons, and used to take 

 iron-moulds out of linen. 



|3. Alpina. Herb much larger ; thecidiuin longer than the 

 valves. 



Lapathum q. Acetosa montana maxima C. Bauhiiii, Dillen in Raii Syn. 

 143, 12. 



2. Acetosa repens. Creeping sorrel. 

 Leaves lanceolate, hastate, barbs acute, recurved^ rkizoma 



creeping ; flowers unisexual, valves not cut. 



Lapathum acetosum repens lanceolatum, Raii Syn. 143, 13. 



Oxalis tenuifolia, Ger. em. 379. 



Acetosa minor lanceolata. Park. 744. 



Rumex Acetosella, Lin. S. P. 481. 



Acetosa tenuifolia, Moench Mcth. 357. 



Rumex infestum, Salisb. Prod. 258. 



Sheep''s sorrel. Sheep's dock. 



Barren sandy places ; perennial ; June and July. 

 Stem 12 inches high ; radical leaves hastate; stem leaves 

 lanceolate or hastate. 



