THE CRANE’S-BILL FAMILY 
61 
Hemlock Stork’s-bill. (Erodium cicutarium, L’Herit.) -As just described. The 
flowers f— | inch across, rosy or white, 2-10 (in an umbel) growing from the same point on the 
flower-stem, the sepals pointed, as long as the petals, the petals entire, unequal, 2 of them 
sometimes with a spot at the base, falling quickly ; the stems at first very short, becoming even 2 
feet long, prostrate and hairy ; the leaves divided from the midrib into distinct leaflets (pinnate), 
which in their turn are deeply lobed ; the stipules lance-shaped ; and the whole plant covered with 
soft hairs. \Plate 30. 
Common. Near the sea, waste places, sandy banks. May — September. Annual or 
Biennial. 
Musk Stork’s-bill. (Erodium moschatum, L’Herit.) — A similar but larger and coarser 
plant, the flowers pale purplish-pink or nearly white ; the stem 1-2 feet long, thicker, reddish ; the 
leaves divided to the midrib into fewer and larger leaflets which are toothed, not lobed ; the stipules 
egg-shaped (ovate) ; and the whole plant covered with hairs which are often gland-tipped and 
usually smelling strongly of musk. 
Rare. Heaths and sandy places especially near the sea, in the south-west of England, Ireland, and 
the Channel Isles. June — July. Annual. 
Sea Stork’s-bill. (Erodium maritimum, L’Herit.)— Another similar species, smaller 
and softly hairy, with usually only one very small, pale purplish-rose flower on a stalk ; the stem 6-8 
inches long ; and the leaves egg-shaped, slightly heart-shaped at the base, or even slightly lobed, but 
never divided into separate leaflets. 
Rare. Sandy sea-coasts in the west of England. May — September. Annual or Biennial. 
WOOD-SORREL. (OXALIS, LINN.) — Flowers solitary, or in a cluster, all starting from the 
same point on the main flowering stem (umbel) ; sepals 5, united at the base, remaining with 
the fruit (persistent) ; petals 5, often united at the base, twisted in bud; stamens 10, all with 
anthers, the filaments united at the base, the 5 opposite the petals being longer than the others ; 
carpels 5, united into an angular, 5-celled, seedcase (ovary), separating into 5 styles. The fruit a 
5-celled, 5-angled capsule, never beaked, opening by 5 valves to free the numerous seeds which 
are enveloped in an elastic coating, which, suddenly splitting, jerks the seeds to a considerable 
distance. Herbs with tuberous or creeping roots, and alternate long-stalked leaves, divided to the 
base, in European species, into 3 distinct leaflets (trifoliate). 
Common Wood Sorrel. (Oxalis Aeetosella, Linn.)— As just described. The flowers 
rather large, fragile, bell-shaped, white or pinkish, delicately veined with mauve, and stained with 
deep yellow at the base, solitary, on long stalks ' springing from the root (scapes), which have 
2 small bracts about half way up ; the sepals small, and broadly pointed ; and the petals entire, 
The leaves all from the root (radical), on long stalks, divided to the base into 3 distinct leaflets 
(trifoliate), which are deeply notched at the apex, yellowish-green, tinged with purple underneath. 
The root creeping. The fruits are produced by insignificant flowers without petals appearing later 
on in the summer. \Plate 30. 
Common. Damp woods and shady places. March — August. Perennial. 
^Procumbent Yellow Wood Sorrel. (Oxalis corniculata, Linn.)— Not a native, 
with clusters of 2 or 3 yellow flowers, all starting from the same point on the main flowering stalk 
(umbels), and the stem and leaves downy with small hairs. 
Not a native, though apparently naturalised in Cornwall, Devonshire, and a few other counties. 
June — September. Annual. 
Tpright Yellow Wood Sorrel. (Oxalis stricta, Linn.)— Another and similar species, 
