5 



OXALIS D A R V A L L I A N A . 



(Dr. Darwell's Oxalis.). 



LINNEAN SYSTEM. 



DECANDRIA PENT A GYNI A 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



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

 filamentis basi breviter monadelphis, 5 exterioribus alternis brevioribus. Styli 5 apice pennicil- 

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

 centes stipitatae aut acaules, foliis variis sed nunquam abrupte pinnatis. (Decand. Prod. vol. i. 

 p. 690.) 



Calyx five-sepaled, sepals free or joined at the base. Petals five. Stamens ten, filaments 

 shortly monadelphbus at the base, five exterior ones alternately shorter. Styles five, brush-like 

 or capitate at the apex. Capsule five-sided, oblong or cylindrical. Herbaceous perennial plants, 

 caulescent stipitate or stemless, having various-formed leaves, but never abruptly pinnate. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



O. Darvalliana ; radice tuberosa repente ; foliolis ternis late linearibus sparse hirsutis, margi- 

 nibus glanduloso-punctatis emarginatis ; floribus solitariis albidis margine pallide coccineis ; 

 stylis longissimis glanduloso-hirsutis. 



Root tuberous, creeping ; leaflets in threes, broadly linear, scattered over with hairs, sur- 

 rounded at the margin with glandular dots, notched at the end ; flowers solitary, whitish, having 

 a margin of pale crimson ; styles very long, glandularly hairy. 



Descr. — Root tuberous, creeping. Stem about four inches high, smooth, having numerous 

 leaves from the nodi. Leaves in threes. Leaflets broadly linear, notched at the end, and 

 scattered all over with white hairs, the margins bordered all round with dark glandular dots. 

 Petioles somewhat sheathing at the base, of unequal lengths, pubescent, some longer than the 

 leaves, others shorter. Flowers solitary. Peduncle arising from the axil of the leaf, and longer 

 than the leaves, pubescent. Bracts two, situate a quarter of an inch below the flower, scarlet. 

 Calyx hairy, lanceolate, acute, surrounded with a crimson margin. Petals whitish, having their 

 margin surrounded with crimson, in the same manner as the calyx. Claw yellow. Filaments 

 in two heights, five and five, glandularly hairy, both of which are shorter than the styles. Styles 

 five, glandularly hairy, longer than the filaments, thickened at the apex. Ovarium five-celled, 

 smooth. Ovules numerous. 



NATURAL ORDER. 

 9 oxalide^e. — (Decand.) 



This is a very delicate plant, but shy in producing flowers, and still more shy 

 in expanding them than the other species of the genus. It approaches very near 



