ROGIERA AMyENA. 
551 
may be cooked with the tubers. In the centre 
is a layer of vessels and distinct medullary 
rays, with pith so small as to be scarcely 
visible. Having this structure, the tubers of 
the oxalis approach that of the stems of the 
potato. The cellular tissue of the flesh is 
full of a fine ovoid fecula. The tubers are of 
a good taste, and have nothing poisonous like 
the potato even when raw. They retain a 
little of the acid which is common to the 
oxalis family. Cooked in water in the same 
manner, they are very like the potato, and 
they are doubtless very wholesome. They 
have been grown for many years in gardens, 
but for a long time without success, because 
gardeners seeing that the plant was frosted 
by the autumnal cold, immediately lifted and 
placed them in a greenhouse. We are now 
convinced that a very different mode must be 
followed with this singular vegetable. 
In order to render the preceding translated 
account of the oxalis the more complete, we 
append the following extract from a very 
useful little volume, The_ Fruit, Flower, and 
Kitchen Garden, by Dr. Neill, the excellent 
Secretary of the Caledonian Horticultural 
Society : — " The plant produces tubers at the 
root, somewhat in the manner of the potato ; 
but they are of small size, seldom exceeding 
that of a walnut. By cultivation, however, 
by manuring, laying down, earthing up, 
watering, and other helps known to horticul- 
turists, considerable increase of size in the 
tubers may be effected. From the mode of 
culture adopted by the most intelligent 
gardeners, w T e conclude, that a rich light soil 
is the most proper ; that it is useful to for- 
ward the plants in a hot-bed. in the way 
practised with early peas, so as to have them 
ready to transplant by the middle or end of 
May ; that in planting out, they should be 
inserted in a sloping position, so that a con- 
siderable portion of the stem may be covered 
by the soil ; that earthing up, or drawing up 
additional soil to the stems in June and July 
is important ; and that laying down the stems 
horizontally in August, and covering them 
slightly (to the depth of about two inches) 
with mould, tends greatly to promote the pro- 
ductiveness. It should be observed, that the 
tubers continue to swell in size till November, 
or till stopped by frost. It is believed that 
the largest tubers, having full eyes or buds, 
yield the strongest plants ; and therefore a 
portion of the largest should be reserved for 
seed stock. Cut sets of these large tubers 
are, by some cultivators, preferred to whole 
tubers. The rest, from the size of a filbert to 
a walnut, go to the cook. We may remark, 
that till the plant become more common, the 
very smallest tubers should not be thrown 
away, but should be carefully preserved, for 
increasing the extent of the oxalis bod the 
following season. 
The mode of dressing for table is simple : 
The tubers, after being cleaned, are boiled for 
about ten minutes, or till they are slightly 
softened, and they are then served tip with 
white sauce. Some persons merely put them 
into boiling water for a few minutes ; then, 
pouring off the water, transfer them to a 
covered saucepan; and place the pan upon 
hot cinders, drawing some of these to the lid ; 
in this way the tubers are rendered more dry 
or mealy. They have a pleasant flavour"; 
somewhat resembling a new potato, with the 
additional zest of a nut or kernel, but also 
with a certain degree of acidity. 
The oxalis comes from the same country 
that afforded us the invaluable potato, and 
has been extolled as likely to rival it ; but 
this it will never do. A dish of oxalis may 
form an agreeable variety and adjunct, but no 
more ; bearing to the potato such relation as 
sea-kale does to asparagus. It may be added, 
however, that the oxalis crenata is in other 
respects a useful vegetable. The leaves may 
be used as salad, and they constitute, indeed, 
the principal salad in Lima. The shoots 
and young branches are found to make an 
agreeable puree, having the wood-sorrel 
flavour ; and the larger stems have been used 
in tarts, in the manner of rhubarb stalks, and 
been found more tender. 
ROGIERA ASLENA. 
Rogiera amcena, Planchon (agreeable Ro- 
giera). — Cinchonacea? § Hedyotidea? — Ron- 
deletias. 
We are not aware that this plant has, as 
yet, reached the English gardens alive. It 
is, however, cultivated in those of Belgium, 
and if not already in this country, will no 
doubt soon find its way into some of the 
nurseries to which novelties of this class 
are imported. For the particulars which we 
are here enabled to publish, we are indebted 
to La Flore, &. botanical periodical issued 
under the inspection of M. Van Houtte, the 
well known nurseryman of Ghent. 
The genus Rogiera appears to have re- 
ceived its name in honour of a Belgian states- 
man, M. Ch. Rogier, Minister of the Interior. 
The species under notice is a native of Gua- 
temala, whence it was introduced to the 
Belgian gardens, probably about the year 
1848. This, and the species R. JMenechma, 
R. Roezlii, and R. elegam, are said to re- 
semble each other so closely, as to present- 
differences appreciable only by the botanist. 
R. avicena forms a beautiful and somewhat 
suffruticose plant, of graceful upright habit, 
