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OXALIS BRAZILIENSIS. 



(Brazilian Oxalis.) 



LINNEAN SYSTEM. NATURAL ORDER. 



DECANDRIA PENTAGYNIA. OXALlDEiE. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Oxalis (Lin.) Calyx 5-sepalus, sepalis liberis aut basi coalitis. Petala 5. Stamina 10 fila- 

 mentis basi breviter monadelphis, 5 exteriis altemis brevioribus. Styli 5, apice penicilliformes 

 aut capitati. Capsula pentagona oblonga aut cylindracea. Herbse perennes aut annuse, caules- 

 centes stipitatse aut acaules foliis variis sed nunquam abrupte pinnatis. De Cand. Prod. vol. i., 

 p. 690. 



Calyx 5-sepaled, sepals free, or joined at the base. Petals 5. Stamens 10, with the filaments 

 shortly monadelphous at the base, the 5 exterior ones being alternately shorter. Styles -5, brush- 

 like, or capitate. Capsule 5-sided, oblong, or cylindraceous. Herbaceous, perennial or annual, 

 caulescent or stemless, leaves various, but never abruptly pinnate. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



O. Braziliensis ; acaulis ; foliolis 3 longe petiolatis rotundato-obovatis emarginatis, subtus 

 pubescentibus, margine ciliatis, petiolis glabris ; scapo longissimo glabro ; 2-3 floro ; petalis 

 obovatis venosis purpureis recurvatis prope basin annulatis ; calycibus obtusis apice bi-lineatis ; 

 stylis longissimis hirsutis. 



Stemless ; leaflets three, longly petiolated, roundish, obovate, notched at the end, under- 

 neath hairy, ciliated at the margin ; petioles smooth ; scape very long, smooth ; flowers two • 

 petals obovate, veined, purple, recurved, and ringed near the base; calyces obtuse, with two 

 linear marks at the apex ; styles very long and hairy. 



Oxalis Braziliensis. — Lodd. Bot. Cab. 



Descr.t— Bulb solitary, out of the tunicated coat of which arise the petioles, in number about 

 five. Leaflets in threes, veined, and more or less coloured with purple underneath ; the upper 

 surface smooth and shining ; petioles about four inches in length, smooth and purplish ; scape 

 very long (from six to ten inches), smooth, and bearing two or three flowers. Flowers large, 

 about an inch across, of a beautiful purple colour, very delicate in their texture, recurved^ beau- 

 tifully veined, and near the base surrounded by a broad ring of darker purple. Pedicels from 

 one to two inches long. Petals obliquely curved and slightly united at the claw. Calyx obtuse, 

 membranous at the edges, with two yellow linear spots at the apex. The stamens are arranged 

 in two rows, five in each row, and of unequal lengths ; the first five exterior, and shorter than 

 the five interior. Anthers yellow, thick, and roundish. The styles are very long, twice as long 

 as the longest stamens, and very hairy ; both the filaments and styles are of a purplish colour. 

 Stigmas yellow. 



K 2 



