THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
143 
have tuberous roots, others are bulbs ; some are tender, 
others perfectly hardy, the flowers are always hand¬ 
some in form and beautiful in color. The leaves vary 
considerably, but they are most commonly trifoliate, 
and slightly acid. The type of the order is our com¬ 
mon wood-sorrel, Oxalis acetosella, which abounds in 
woods and shady hedgerows, and, in fact, in most situ¬ 
ations throughout the country, and is one of our most 
elegant wild flowers. This was formerly considered 
the true Shamrock, though in the present day the clover 
enjoys that distinction, and is largely used on St. Pat¬ 
rick’s day. Many of the species are grown in the green¬ 
house, and are likewise exceedingly valuable as house 
plants. Among the more prominent is— 
O. floribunda, a native of Brazil, from whence intro- 
cfuced in 1839. This is a perennial species, with fleshy 
tuberous roots that are capable of division to an almost 
unlimited extent. The smallest piece of the crown, if 
started in sand about the first of February, will make 
a fine, large plant by the middle of summer, produc¬ 
ing an almost unlimited number of spikes of flowers 
during the fall and winter. Of this very beautiful 
species, which requires the protection of the greenhouse 
during the winter, there are two varieties, one with 
bright, rose-colored, and the other with pure white 
flowers. For warm, sunny situations in the house 
there are no plants better adapted, and they are par¬ 
ticularly useful in hanging-baskets. 
O. boiviei is a charming, bulbous-rooted species, 
producing its bright rose-pink flowers, one-and-a-half 
inches in diameter, in great profusion, in November and 
December. This species is well worth growing for the 
beauty of its foliage alone, which is very large and rich. 
Of this species there is a variety with pure white 
flowers, though rarely met. This is generally cultivated 
as a greenhouse species; it will, however, endure our 
winters if planted in a rockery, or in the border, if 
dry and slightly protected; and so tenacious is it of 
life that it will dispute possession with almost any other 
plant in the bed. This species was introduced from the 
Cape of Good Hope in 1834. 
O. cornua, the subject of our illustration, is the most 
valuable species for conservatory decoration for the 
living room, or for any situation affording plenty of 
light and heat. Its foliage is deeply lobed and spotted 
with dark brown. The flowers are produced in large 
clusters on long, slender scapes, in the greatest abund¬ 
ance—color, a’‘clear canary yellow. We do not know 
of any plant as free flowering and persistent as this. 
We planted in our greenhouse, in September last, a bed 
four feet square, placing the bulbs about five inches apart, 
each way. For the past four months the bed has been 
a complete mass of bloom; at no time has there been 
less than a thousand flower scapes in sight, and not 
long since, we counted the scapes in a section of the 
bed, and from a careful estimate we placed the number 
at that time at 1,600. At any time we can cut a hun¬ 
dred of the flower scapes, without detracting from the 
beauty of the mass. For small vases, no flower is more 
beautiful; they last for more than a week after being 
cut, and are deliciously fragrant. 
POE HANGING-BASKETS 
these bulbs are admirably adapted. Four of them being 
sufficient for a basket fifteen inches in diameter, and in 
two months after planting the basket will be a complete 
mass of foliage and flowers. Its requisites are a light, 
deep, rich soil, with plenty of heat, sunshine and water. 
The baskets in which they are grown should be very 
deep, not less than six inches. For window boxes, with 
a southern exposure, we cannot too strongly recom¬ 
mend these bulbs, not alone because of their great 
beauty, but because of their being so cheap, as it will 
not require an expenditure of more than fifty cents for 
a sufficient quantity to fill'an ordinary window box. 
This species is a native of Italy, making the fields as 
yellow as ours are with the Golden-rod in autumn. It 
has a variety with double flowers, differing in no other 
respect. 
O. lasiandra is a magnificent border-plant, leaves 
from five to nine lobed, supported on erect foot-stalks; 
flowers crimson, produced in clusters on the top of 
scapes (stems) 9 to 13 inches high. For a long, 
narrow border there is nothing more beautiful or ap¬ 
propriate. 
0. enneaphylla, nine-leaved Oxalis, is a charming 
species from the Falkland Islands. It is a stemless 
plant, with a creeping, scaly underground stem, and a 
tuft of leaves from three inches to four inches long, 
with from nine to twenty leaflets, reversed heart- 
shaped, and very glaucous. The flowers are freely pro¬ 
duced, and rise just above the leaves; they are funnel- 
shaped, from one inch to one and a half inches across, 
and of snowy whiteness, rendering it one of the most 
beautiful and attractive autumn flowering plants. It 
is yet quite rare. 
0. lobata is a little gem from Chili. It is also a stem¬ 
less species with slender leaf-stalks, and three deeply- 
lobed, bright green leaflets, so arranged that two pairs 
of leaves form a horizontal square, the two others being 
in a more or less vertical position. The blossoms are 
borne singly on slender stalks, and are about three- 
quarters of an inch across, and of a rich yellow color, 
the centre being delicately penciled with chocolate. 
It is free flowering, but requires strong sunshine. 
O. deppei has flowers of a pinkish-lilac color, about 
half an inch in diameter, and, as its flowers are pro¬ 
duced in clusters, it makes a good bedding plant. Its 
leaves have a dark stripe round the centre something 
like those of tetrapliylla; its bulbs are also similar 
to those of that variety. In addition to the foregoing 
there are several other varieties and species useful for 
bedding purposes. They are all of the simplest culture, 
and increase rapidly. 
O. crenata. The tubers of these are eaten either 
boiled or roasted, and by many persons are highly 
esteemed. The stalks are said to be superior to rhu¬ 
barb for pies, having a flavor resembling pineapple. 
The leaves are said to make an elegant salad. For pur¬ 
poses of ornament, this is one of the most useful. The 
flowers are of a bright orange color, and are fine and 
showy ; it never produces seed, and is, therefore, pro¬ 
pagated by offsets. The tubers should be planted in 
small pots in April, and grown on until the first of 
of June, when they may be transferred to the 
border. 
O. tetrapliylla produces an edible root, sometimes 
used as a substitute for the potato. This, like most of 
the other species, is not particular as to soil, but re¬ 
quires, like the preceding, to be started under cover, 
so as to get it planted out strong when all danger of 
frost is over. 
