a 
ones) longer than the petioles, green, nodding, afterwards erect, termi- 
nating in an umbel of about twelve flowers, surrounded at. the point 
of division by minute red bracts, the peduncles 1-3-flowered, of a 
greenish red colour, curved or suberect, but as the flower expands be- 
coming straight. FLowers a beautiful rose-colour. CALycing SEG- 
MENTS oblong, acute, red at the margin. Tuse oF THE COROLLA 
yellow, limb red, flower measuring, wh fully expanded, about one 
and three quarters of an inch across. Stamens shorter than the tube, 
exceeding the stigmas in length, the five internal ones longer than the 
external. The whole plant, except the flower, clothed with a minute 
pubescence. 
Poputar anD GeograpuicaL Notice. Though the species of 
Oxalis are to be found in nearly all regions of the earth (the coldest 
excepted), yet the majority of those known are natives of the Cape of 
Good Hope, where the present species was found. It is difficult to ima- 
gine any one of the numerous species which could surpass this ; certainly 
none equal it either in the size of the leaves, or the size and number 
of its flowers, reckoning the whole which it produces during the flow- 
ering season. The flowers before their expansion are scarcely less 
beautiful than when quite expanded, so elegantly are their spirally 
twisted petals arranged. Every part of the plant is worthy of obser- 
vation. The leaves are compound and jointed, which permits con- 
siderable power of motion; and hence when not stimulated by the 
light, the leaflets, towards evening, begin to recline, and form a sort of 
cone, of which the summit of the petiole is the apex, as may be seen 
in leaves of the Oxalis acetosella, or common wood-sorrel. The 
flowers are also very sensible to light, and only expand thoroughly 
when the strong clear sun-shine falls upon them. But they may be 
caused to open by the light of a lamp thrown upon them in a concen- 
trated form, by means of a lens, as was done by Monsieur Boryde St. 
Vincent, (Annales de Physique, Tome I, p. 112) and so cheated out 
of their sleep. The term sleep of plants may excite surprise, but 
many plants exhibit phenomena analogous to the sleep of animals. 
Linneus wrote an interesting dissertation on the sleep of plants (De 
Somno Plantarum, Amenitates Academice, Vol. IV, p. 333); and 
though it occurs to a greater or less extent in all plants, yet it is chiefly 
applied to those plants in which it is most perceptible, such as the 
Oxalis, and other members of the tribe Oxalidacee, and those of the 
Leguminose especially, the Robinia Pseudo-acacia, and the Mimosa 
