44 
OXALIS ACETOSELLA. 
Common Wood Sorrel* 
Class Decandria. — Order Pentagynia. 
Nat. Ord. Gruinales, Linn. Gerania, Juss. 
Gen. Char. Ca/yar 5-leaved. PeiaZs connected by the claWs. 
Capsule 5-cornered, gaping in the angles. 
Spec. Char. Scape 1 -flowered. Leaves ternate, inversely 
heart-shaped. Roof granulated. 
Of the numerous tribe of plants coraprised under the genus 
Oxalisjf two species only are natives of Britain, the Oxalis Acetosella 
and Corniculata, most of the Oxalis tribe of plants being indigenous 
to South Africa. The Oxalis Acetosella is a perennial plant, flower- 
ing in April and May ; it is very common in the North of England, 
and is usually found in woods, moist shady lanes, and hedge-rows; 
there is a variety of this species of sorrel with white flowers, equally 
common in many of the southern and western parts of the country. 
The root of the Oxalis Acetosella grows horizontal, is granulated, 
and of a bright red ; the leaves are ternate, inversely heart-shaped, 
of a yellow green, the under side pink, inclining to purple, slightly 
hirsute, and stand upon long petioles, proceeding from little bulbs, 
which form a kind of sheath at the bottom, the leaf stalks are round, 
and of a red colour; the calyx is divided into five obtuse segments, 
membraneous on their edges, and often spotted with purple ; the 
flowers grow upon long peduncles; the corolla is composed of five 
petals, which are connected together by their claws, and affixed by 
them to the receptacle ; the petals are very slightly crenated, and 
are either of a white or flesh colour, streaked with red ; the stamens 
are ten, five of which are shorter than the others; the anthers are 
yellow and bilocular ; the germen is quadrangular ; the five styles 
are slender, and somewhat longer than the stamens, crowned with 
blunt stigmata; the capsule is pentagonal, inclining to an oval form, 
and divided into five cavities, each containing two seeds, inclosed 
* Fig. a. represents a plant of the natural size. b. The pistillam. c. The stamina. 
d. Pericari). e. The caljs.. 
f Sixty-seven are enumerated as being cultivated in our botanic gardens. Hort. Cant. 
