2 o y [ 1726 ]
OXALIS cornicnlata.
Yellow Procumbent Wood-Sorrel.
DECJNDRIA Pcntagynia.
Gen. Char. Cal. 5-leaved. Petals 5, connected by
their claws. Caps, superior, of 5 cells, 5-sided,
bursting at the angles. Seeds clothed with an
elastic tunic.
Spec. Char. Stem branched, spreading on the ground.
Flowers in small umbels. Footstalks with stipulas
at their base.
Syn. Oxalis corniculata. Linn. Sp. P I. 623. Berk.
Syn. v. 2 . 141. Sm. F I. B rit. 492. With. 430.
Hull. 100. Ja cq . Oxal. 10 . t. 5.
Oxys lutea. Ger. em. 1202.
I t would be unjust to deprive Dr. Berkenhout of the honour
of first making this known as a British plant. His specimens
were gathered near Exeter by a Mr. John Turner. Ours were
sent from the same county by the Rev. Dr. Beeke, Rev. Mr.
Neck, W. J. Hooker, Esq. and the Rev. J. Jervis. The celebrated
authoress Mrs. Charlotte Smith has informed us of
this species being found near Cuckfield, Sussex, by Mr.
Fearon; and it was observed this autumn in Scotland, near
Stirling, by our worthy friend Dr. Buchanan. All these authorities
surely establish it as a native. It is annual, flowering
from the beginning of summer to the end of autumn.
Root fibrous. Stems several, spreading Widely on the ground
and often taking root, somewhat branched, round, reddish,
leafy, downy. Leaves alternate, though often nearly opposite,
ternate, spreading; leaflets inversely heartshaped,
rounded, downy, Stipulas united to the base of the footstalk.
Flowerstalks axillary, each bearing 2 or 3 umbellate,
declining pedicles. Flowers small, yellow. Fruit large, pyramidal.
Stamens united at the base.
We have already, p. 762, pointed out the affinity of this
genus to all the Rutacece of Jussieu, of which we have lately
had further confirmation. The little white elastic arillus is
conspicuous in this species, though of course much thinner in
texture than the arillus of larger plants. Mr. de Jussieu himself
has suggested the above affinity.