32 NATURAL HISTORY OP PLANTS. 



swollen and succulent subterranean parts, wliicli might serve for 

 food. In Egypt th.e tubercules of Erodium 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. tetraphijlla and 

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

 cauli 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 species, such as 0. crenata^ tuberosa, 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 corniculata ; at the Cape, those of 0. compressa^ caprina, 

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

 enneaphylla, etc., are so employed. When the leaves are very acid 

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

 those of 0. cor data., 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 ia Switzerland and Ger- 

 many. In India, 0. sensitivd^ (fig. 67) is said to cure asthma, 

 consumption, and scorpion bites. This is one of the plants which 

 popular credulity, excited by the singular movements and irritability 

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

 contain colouring matter ; in America 0. rosea and racemosa do so. 



— p. multiradiatwm Ecki. et Zeyh. — P. pau- "i See Endl. PkoMrid. 625. Guib. op. cit. 



oifolium EcKL. et Zeyh. — P. papmerifolmm iii. 568. — Rosenth. op. cit. 896. 



EcKL. et. Zeyh. — Geranium triste Oav. Diss. ^ L. Spec. 620.^Jaoq. Oxal. n. 91, t. 80, fig. 



t. 107. The swollen stems are also edible. 1. — DC. Prodr. i. 700^ n. 123. — Gren. et Godk. 



' W. J^WMOT. 716. — 'B^^nn. Fl. Amtral. i. 296. Fl.de Fr.i. 326. — Guib. op. cit. iii. 567, fig. 



Var. (?) du G. dissectum. L. {Natioe Carrot in 731. — Lindl. Fl. Mid. 222. — Ret. Fl. Med, du 



Van-Diemen). xix. Siicle iii. 366, t. 4).— Oaz. Tr. des Plant. 



2 Ait. Rort. Kew. ii. 427 —Cat. Diss. t. 100. MH. Ind. ^d 3, 50. Surette, Surelle, Alleluia, 



fig. l.—Bot. Mag. t. 20.— P. scutatum DO. Serbe de P&ques, Serbe de bwuf. Pain de coucou, 



{Geranium-Zierre). Trefie aigre, Oseille d trois feuilUs.) 



^ All. Sort. Kew. ii. 430.— Hakt. et Sond. « Several other species of Oa;«fc are also used ; 



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



and 'balsamic stems of Mansonia Bwmanni (DC. Antilles, 0. Plumieri ; in Chili 0. tuherosa etc. 



Prodr. 1. 638;— Endl. Pnchirid. 621 ;— Soj-co- ^ L. ;Sp««. 622.— Jacq. Oxal. Mon. n. 21 t. 



caulon Burmanni Harv. et Sond. Fl. Gap. i. 78, fig. 4.— Rumph. Serb. Amboin. y.' t. lOi, 



266 ;— Geranium spinosum Cav. Piaa.i. 76, fig. fig. 2.— Rheede. Sort. Malabar. 9, t. 19.— .Bio- 



2), used frequently to make torches. phytwm sensitimm DC. Prodr, i. 690. 



