88 
TROP.EOLUM OXALIANTHUM. 
" The discerning emigrant to California 
might, however, be rewarded by finding dia- 
monds, rubies, sapphires, topazes, beryls, tour- 
malines, &c. in addition to the ores of tin, 
platina, iridium, silver, &c. I am, &c. 
"James Tennant. 
" 149, Stkato, Jan. 25t7i, 1849." 
TROP^OLUM OXALIANTHUM. 
TroprFoIum oxalianthum, Morren (oxalis- 
flowered Indian cress).— Tropajolaceaj § Tro- 
p£eole£e. 
This pretty plant is one of a group nearly 
allied, if indeed the individuals are speci- 
fically distinct. It was named by Professor 
Morren, and we cannot better point out 
its differences from the allied forms already 
referred to, than by quoting the substance 
of the professor's published remarks. He 
states, — " It is in the way of Tropceolum 
hrachyceras of Poeppig and Endlicher, in one 
respect ; and agrees with T. tenellam in ano- 
ther ; but it is nevertheless distinguished clearly 
enough from both. T. brachyceras has the 
peltate leaves divided into six or seven lobes. 
T. oxaUanthum has never more than five 
segments. In this respect it approaches 
nearer to T. tenellum, which has also five or 
six, but in the latter species the lobes are 
obovate and mucronate, two featui-es whicli 
are not observed in T. oxaliaiitlium. The 
leaves, or the segments of the leaves, conform 
rather with those of T. brachyceras, which 
has also the spur conic, and as short again as 
the calyx. In T. tenellum, this organ is 
simply shorter than the calyx. In T. oxali- 
anthum, the spur is the same length as the 
lobes of the calyx, a character which separates 
it entirely from the other two species. In 
T. oxalianthum, as in T. tenellum, and T. 
bVaciiyceras, the petals are equal ; but in the 
last-named, these organs are emarginate, the 
two upper ones cuneiform, and veined at the 
base ; in T. tenellum, they are also cuneiform, 
but furnished with long claws, (unguiculate.) 
There is nothing similar to this in T. oxali- 
anthum, neither the emarginate, nor ungui- 
culate character." Tlie differences set down, 
may be stated thus ; — 
T. hrachyceras ; leaves, six- seven-lobed ; 
v^pur as short again as the calyx ; petals equal, 
emarginate, 
7\ tenellum ; leaves five- six-lobed ; lobes 
obovate mucronate ; spur shorter than the 
calyx ; petals equal, unguiculate. 
T. oxalianthum ; leaves five-lobed ; spur 
as long as the calyx ; petals conformable, 
neither emarginate nor unguiculate. 
It will thus be seen that the botanicalldif- 
ferences between these three so-called species 
are but slight ; and more than one of the three 
would not be required in any ordinary garden 
establishment. 
The present species produces tubers, and is 
therefore perennial. From these tubers pro- 
ceed the thread-like twining stem, which bears 
small peltate five-lobed leaves, having lanceo- 
late entire segments, wedge-shaped at the base. 
The flowers are yellow, small ; the calyx 
green, divided into five oval dilated recurved 
lobes, half the length of the petals, and ter- 
minating behind in a conical obtuse spur ; 
the petals are oval, wedge-shaped at the base, 
and undulated on the margins, the two upper- 
most streaked with bright orange colour. Like 
the other species, this produces its blossom in 
the early part of the summer. 
The native country of this plant is supposed 
to be Chili, as in the case of many of its con- 
geners. It was cultivated during the season 
of 1848 by M. Bauman of Ghent. The name 
oxalianthum is applied in allusion to a cer- 
tain analogy hetween its flowers and those of 
some species of Oxalis. 
In respect to cultivation, this species entirely 
accords with the other smaller growing kinds. 
As to climate it requires a greenhouse, where 
the temperature is never allowed to fall to the 
freezing-point, and where neither a large pro- 
portion of moisture is present in the atmo- 
sphere, nor the atmosphere is allowed to stag- 
nate ; a dry airy warm greenhouse is there- 
tore what affords it the most proper protection. 
