94 THE GERANIUM FAMILY. 
although the petals are scarcely longer than the calyx. Peduncles often 
6 or 8 inches long. 
In sandy waste places and heaths, especially near dhe sea, in a 
and southern Europe. Abundant in the Channel Islands, found also on 5 
the southern and western coasts of England and South Wales ; local in . 
Ireland. Fl. summer. 
3. E. maritimum, L’Heér. (fig. 216), Sea #—A small, softly hairy, 
often viscid annual, with the same varying habit as LZ. cieutarium, but 
easily distinguished by the simple, not pinnate leaves, often not above 
half an inch long, ovate-cordate, more or less toothed or even lobed, 
but seldom beyond half-way 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 should probably include 
several species of modern botanists. Not uncommon on the south and 
west coasts of England, up to the south of Scotland, all round Ireland. 
Has been found also in some inland situations in England. Fl. all 
SUNUMETN. . 
III. OXALIS. OXALIS. 
Herbs, either annual, or with a tuberous or creeping, perennial root- 
stock, and, in European species, palmately trifoliate, long-stalked 
leaves. Flowers solitary, or several in an umbel, on radical or axillary 
peduncles. Sepals 5. Petals5. 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 genus, 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 the 
genus, like the few European species,‘are remarkable for their leaves, 
with 3 obovate leaflets like those of a Trifolium. 
Flowers white. Peduncles radical, 1-flowered . 1. O. Acetosella. 
Flowers small, yellow. Stem elongated. Peduncles axillary —, 2. O. corniculata. 
Many exotic species, with yellow or reddish flowers, have at various 
times been cultivated, either in our flower-gardens, or, for their tuber- 
ous rootstocks, as esculents. 
1. O. Acetosella, Linn. (fig. 217). Wood-sorrel.—Rootstock shortly 
creeping, slender, but often knotted with thickened scales. Leaves 
radical, with long stalks, and 3 obovate, delicately green leaflets, with 
a slightly acid flavour. Peduncles radical, long and slender, bearing a 
single, rather large white, rarely pink or purplish flower, and 2 small 
bracts, about half-way up. Sepals small, ovate, obtuse, thin. Petals 
obovate, about 6 lines long. Capsule ovoid, with 2 shining black seeds 
in each cell. 
In woods, throughout Europe, Russian and central Asia, and northern 
America. Abundant in Britain. Fl. early spring. This is believed to 
_be the original of the Irish Shamrock, although that emblem is now 
oe by Trifolium repens. 
. O. corniculata, Linn. (fig. 218). Procumbent O.—A more or less 
