148 THE GEEANIUM FAMILY. 



Sepals pointed, about the length of the obovate, entire petals. Carpels 

 slightly hairy, the beak varying from 6 to 18 lines in length. 



In waste and cultivated lands and dry pastures, especially near the sea, 

 and on roadsides ; very common in Europe, Russian and central Asia, and 

 northern America, short of the Arctic Circle. GreneraUy distributed over 

 Britain. FL spring and summer. A maritime, more viscid, and hairy 

 variety, known in southern Europe as .E. hirtum, is also found on our own 

 coasts. 



2. Musk Erodium. Erodiom moschatum, L'Her. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 902.) 



A much larger and coarser plant than the common E., often emitting a 

 strong smell of musk. Stems often a foot long. Leaves on long footstalks, 

 with from 9 to 11 distinct, ovate segments or leaflets, often cordate at the 

 base, and deeply toothed or shortly pinnatifid. Flowers generally numerous 

 in the umbel, of a bluish purple, rather larger than in the common E., 

 although the petals are scarcely longer than the calyx. Peduncles often 

 6 or 8 inches long. 



Ill sandy, waste places and heaths, especially near the sea, in western and 

 southern Europe. Abundant in the Channel Islands, in some parts of the 

 south of Ireland, and occurring occasionally on the southern and western 

 coasts of England. Fl. summer. 



3. Sea Erodium. Erodium maritimmn, L'Her. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 616.) 



A small, softly hairy, often viscid annual, with the same varying habit as 

 the common E., but easily distinguished by the simple, not pinnate leaves, 

 often not above half an inch long, ovate-cordate, more or lesa toothed or even 

 lobed, but seldom beyond halfway to the midrib. Peduncles seldom longer 

 than the leaves, with 1, 2, or rarely more, small, reddish-purple flowers. 

 Beak of the fruit seldom above 6 lines long ; the hairs of the inside^ of the 

 awn very few, or perhaps sometimes entirely wanting. 



In maritime sands, in western Europe, and on the Mediterranean, 

 where it varies much more than with us, and shoidd probably include 

 several species of modem botanists. Not vmcommon on the south and west 

 coasts of England, up to the south of Scotland, less frequent in Ireland. 

 Has been found also in some inland situations in England. Fl. all summer. 



in. OXAZ.ZS. OXALIS. 



Herbs, either annual, or with a tuberous or creeping, perennial rootstock, 

 and, in European species, palmately trifoliolate, long-stalked leaves. Flowers 

 solitary, or several in an umbel, on radical or axillary peduncles. Sepals 5. 

 Petals 5. Stamens 10. Ovary angular, not beaked, 5-celled, with several 

 ovules in each cell. Styles 5, short, scarcely united at the base. Capsule 

 with 5 angles, opening in as many valves. 



A very numerous g^^nus, widely diffused over the temperate and hotter 

 regions of the globe. A few tropical species have entire or pinnate leaves, 

 and are occasionally undershrubs ; but the great mass of tlie genus, like the 

 few European species, are remarkable for their leaves, with 3 obovate leaflets 

 like those of a Clover. 



Flowers white. Peduncles radical, 1 -flowered 1. Sorrel O. 



Flowers amall, yellow. Stem elougated. Peduncles axiUarj' ... 2. Praeambent O, 



