THE 0XAL1S. 
i^UR attention has been especially 
: called to the Oxalis of late, by 
the many inquiries we have re¬ 
ceived regarding this beautiful 
family of plants, showing that 
much confusion exists regard¬ 
ing name and character of 
the many species that con¬ 
stitute t li e genus. The 
species differ widely in 
their habit and manner of 
• ' growth. Some are annuals, 
some herbaceous perennials, some 
green-house shrubs; - many have 
tuberous roots, others are bulbs: some 
are tender, others perfectly hardy. 
The flowers differ as widely in form and color, as 
the plants do in their habits and manner of growth, 
but always beautiful in both respects. The leaves 
vary considerably, but are mostly trifoliate, and 
slightly acid. Many of the species are well adapt¬ 
ed to the green-house, conservatory or window- 
garden. Prominent among them is O. floribiindci, of 
which there two varieties, one with white, the other 
with pink flowers, both of which were introduced from 
Brazil in 1829. This species is fibrous rooted, but the 
crowns are susceptible of division to an almost unlim¬ 
ited degree; the smallest piece having a single eye, 
started in spring, rapidly produces a plant that will 
bloom in the house the entire winter. Plants from a 
single eye. will, in one year fill a pot six inches in 
diameter, and give at one time fifty spikes of flowers. 
and continue its bloom more than two-thirds of the 
year. They require but little rest, indicating when this 
is needed by the color of its leaves. Rest should be 
given by wi thh olding water, excepting at rare intervals, 
using only sufficient to keep the ground from getting 
dusty. After two or three months’ rest, cut the tops all 
down to the crowns, which may then be divided, or 
the plant shifted into a larger pot, and started into 
growth. 
Of the bulbous species, O. boiciei is one of the most 
desirable, although not as free flowering as some of the 
others. The flowers are fully an inch in diameter, of a 
beautiful rose color, and produced in largo clusters on 
long stems. There are several varieties of this species, 
one of which is white. All of them are nearly hardy, 
and will endure our winters, when planted in a rockery, 
if given a slight protection. For the window-garden or 
for conservatory decoration, O. luteci is most decidedly 
to be preferred. This species is a native of the Cape of 
Good Hope, as was the preceding. The bulbs are small, 
but. if three or four are planted in a six-inch pot they 
will completely fill it and give an immense number of 
golden-yellow flowers, which are produced in terminal 
clusters on long, slender scapes, that fall gracefully 
over the edges of the pot. Its trifoliate leaves are so 
abundant that they form a complete mat. This species 
and its several varieties require a strong sunlight for 
their perfect development. 0. versicolor is another de¬ 
sirable species for house culture, but requires a sunny 
situation. Its flowers are of medium size; color, crim¬ 
son, white, and a pale shade of yellow; they are gen¬ 
erally thought to be more beautiful when but partly 
open. There are many other species, but those we have 
described are the most desirable for the house. For the 
open border, 0. Icisiandra is a charming plant for the 
edgings of beds; its flowers are pink, and its foliage so 
unique and abundant, forming a mass a foot high and 
nearly two feet in width, equaling in beauty some of 
the finer plants with ornamental foliage. 
The bulbs of all the varieties of Oxalis are small, but 
produce an abundance of bloom and foliage, the latter 
being almost as handsome and in every way as desirable 
as the many colored flowers. For house-culture five or 
six bulbs should be put in a six-inch pot, and this should 
be done as early as possible in October or November. 
In potting, place an inch of drainage at the bottom; 
then fill the pot half way up with well-decayed ma¬ 
nure; the rest of the pot should be filled with fresh, 
light loam, or, if convenient, leaf-mould; in this set the 
bulbs one inch deep, water, and set in a cool, dark place 
for ten days when the pot should be brought to the 
light. After flowering, when the foliage begins to turn 
yellow, they should be dried off, and the pots put in 
some cool, dry place until the coming season, when 
they should be shaken out and re-potted, always using 
the largest-sized bulbs of the respective kinds. 
THE ABRONIA. 
The different varieties and species of Abronias form a 
group of charming half-hardy annual plants with pros¬ 
trate glutinous stems and ovate leaves, producing then- 
beautiful sweet-scented, wax-like flowers in close um¬ 
bels on long petioles in the greatest abundance from 
June until frost. They bear a considerable resemblance 
to a Verbena in habit of growth and manner of flower¬ 
ing, and, like that plant, emit numerous roots from 
their prostrate stems. On account of their spreading 
habit they will soon cover a considerable space, and on 
this account it is advisable, when planting, to place the 
plants at least eighteen inches apart. 
The Abronias belong to the natural 1 order Nyctagi- 
nacese and are natives of the western coast of California 
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