Tha BR ETI S By Bob RB AL. 
Gian hs! aN USS 7S 
WOOD SORREL. 
Kix, 
OVX | BertS. 
PHE flower confifts of a fingle petal, very deeply divided into five fegments 5 fo that they adhere 
only at the bafe: the fruit is a fingle capfule, of a five-cornered fhape, divided into five cells 
within, and contains numerous feeds, which leap out with violence when the capfule burfts open : 
the cup is very fmall; it is formed of a fingle leaf, divided into five fegments, and remains with the 
-veflel. i : 
Seine 3 places this among the decandria pentagynia; the threads in each flower being ten, ‘and the 
ftyles rifing from the rudiment of the capfule five. He calls it oxalis, a word many of the botani- 
cal writers have alfo ufed; but oxys is the more univerfally received : the alteration. is trifling; 
and, while it can dono good, may breed confufion, the common forrel being called by many writers 
by that name. 
D.LV.1 S*&OQ.N,. I. 
Wood Sorrel. 
Oxys vulgaris. 
The root is flender, irregularly notched, and 
creeping, and has numerous fibres. 
The leaves rife in many little clufters, and 
from their colour and manner of growing have 
a very beautiful appearance. 
The footftalks are long, tender, weak, and 
redifh ; and they rife ten, twelve, or more, from 
the fame head: at the top of each ftand three 
leaves ; thefe are of a heart-fafhioned fhape, the 
point being the end at which they join the ftalk ; 
from this they grow broader all the way, and are 
indented at the middle of the large end. 
The flowers are moderately large, and white, 
with a blufhof ted : they ftand on fhort and flen- 
der footftalksrifing immediately from the root, and 
DEV" SE ON” It 
1. Yellow Wood Sorrel. 
Oxys lutea. 
The root is long, flender, divided into feveral 
parts, and furnifhed with many fibres. 
The firft leaves are fmall, and ftand on naked 
pedicles or foorftalks, three on each, in the man- 
ner of the common wood forrel, but fmaller, and 
paler, and the ftalk is fhorter. 
Among thefe rife numerous ftalks: they are 
eight or ten inches long, round, tender, very 
much branched ; and they lie upon the ground, 
taking root at the joints. ; 
The leaves on thefe ftand irregularly, and in 
all refpects refemble thofe from the roots: they 
have long, flender footftalks, and three ftand on 
each: thefe are narrow, and of a heart-fafhioned 
fhape, the point growing to the ftalk, and the 
other end’ being deeply dented. 
The flowers ftand on fhort footftalks, two or 
more together, and are {mall and yellow. 
The feed-veffel is long and edged. 
It is common in damp and_ fhady places in 
Italy, and flowers in May, ; 
C. Bauhine calls it Trifolium acetofum cornicu- 
latum, Others, Oxys lutea, and Oxys Luteo 
fore. es ; 
Beko lah 1 SET 
S_P EE Gal bas: 
feem compofed each of five petals: the divifion 
is fo. deep, that thefe parts join only at the bafé. 
The feed-veffel is longifh and, when the feeds 
are ripe, it burfts with violence. on the leaft 
touch, or with the wind, and fcatters the feeds. 
It is common in woods, and flowers in March. 
This is the only fpecies we have native of 
England; but when it grows in drier places, it is 
fmaller, and flowers later. This has by fome 
been defcribed as a diftinét {pecies ; but there is no 
more difference than what the common accidents 
of foil and fituation give, : 
It is a pleafant, cooling, and ufeful plant. A 
conferve is made of it, which allays the burning 
heat of the mouth in fevers. : 
It is alfo good againft obftructions of the vif- 
cera: to this purpofe the juice fhould be taken. 
POR EIGN 8 PE C.ILE'S, 
2. Upright American Wood Sorrel. 
Oxys Americana ere&a, 
The root is long, flender, and divided into 
many parts. 
The firft leaves are numerous, and ftand on 
long footftalks: they rife in a thick tuft, and 
on each footftalk there are three ; they are broad, 
heart-fafhioned, and of a pale green. . 
The ftalk rifes in the midft of thefe, and is hol- 
low, ftriated, pale, and a foot and half high. 
The leaves ftand irregularly on this, and re- 
femble thofe from the root: they have long foot: 
ftalks, and grow three on each, and are heart- 
fafhioned. 
The flowers grow alfo on the tops of long, 
flender footftalks, many in-a clufter: they are 
{mall, and of a pale yellow, and quickly fall off, 
The feed-veffel is long, pointed, and edged, 
and the cup remains with it. x 
This is frequent in Virginia, and other parts 
of North America, and flowers in May. 
Tournefort calls it Oxys Americana ereGior. 
3. Purple 
