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Show BRENIG H;H E RIB ALL. The BRETAS HH’ woonD S @RiR EL OFX rS8. "THE flower confifts of a fingle petal, very deeply dividedinto five fegments 3 fo that they adhere five cells only at the bafe: the fruit is a fingie capfule, of a five-cornered fhape, divided into open: within, and contains numerous feeds, which leap out with violence w hen the capfule burfts the cup is very fmall ; it is formedof a fingle leaf, divided into five fegments, and remains with the feed-vefiel. Linnzus places this among the decandria pentagyn a; the threads in each flower beingten, and the f{tyles rifing from the rudiment of the capfule five. He calls it oxalis, a word manyy;of the botanical writers have alfo ufed; but oxys is the more univerfally received ; the alteration is trifling; and, while it can do no good, may breed confufion, the common forrel being called by many. writers by that name. DIViS Ox i BR UES. feem compofedeach of five petals: the divifion is fo deep, that thefe parts join only at the bafe. WoodSorrel. Oxys vulgaris. The root is flender, irregularly notched, and creeping, and has numerous fibres. The leaves rife in many little clufters, and from their colour and manner of growing have a very beautiful appearance. The footftalks are long, tender, weak, and redith , and they rife ten, twelve, or more, from the’ fame head: at the top of eachftand three Jeaves; thefe are of a heart-fafhioned fhape, the point being the end at which they join the ftalk ; fromthis they grow broader all the way, and are indented at the middle ofthe large end. The flowers are moderately large, and white, with a bluth of red: they ftandon thort and flen- derfootftalksrifing immediately fromthe root, and Peyale SHIEOUONE Ss TE; The feed-veffel is longifh ; and, when the feeds are ripe, it burfts with violence on the leaft touch, or with the wind, and {fcatters the feeds. It is common in woods, and flowers in March. This is the only fpecies we have native of England; but when it grows in drier places, it is fmaller, and flowers later, This has by fome been defcribedas a diftinét fpecies ; but there is no more difference than what the common accidents of foil and fitwation give. Tt is-a pleafant, cooling, and ufeful plant. A conferve is made of it, whichallays the burning heat of the mouthin fevers. It is alfo good againft obftructions, of the vifcera: to this purpofe the juice fhould be taken. FOREIGN Oxys purpurea bulbofa. on each of which thereis a fingle flower : ti The root is a little bulb, compofed of feveral parts, in the manner of that of alilly, and has a tuft of tender fibres growing fromits bottom. The leaves ftand three on a footftalk, as in the common kind, and are of the heart-fafhioned fhape: the foot{talk is flender, weak, and redifh. The flowers ftand feveral together on the top of a naked ftalk: this is taller and more robuft than the footftalks of the leaves, but not at all branched ; nor are there any leaves on it. The flowers are large, and of a beautiful purple. The feed-veffel is long, edged, and angulated. It is a native of Virginia, and flowers in April. Plukenet cafls it Oxys purpurea Virginiana radice lillit more nucleata, 4. Small-leaved Wood Sorrel. Oxys foliis minioribus ramofa The root is roundifh, large, and made upof feveral heads, like the lilly-root. Thefirft leaves are fmall, and very numerous: they rife in a little clufter, without any vifible footftalk ; three ftand together, and they are fmall, fharp-pointed, and yellowith. footftalk, and are fhort and pointed, nis hirtis flore purpureo. 5. Great-flowered WoodSorrel, Oxys flore maximo. The root is long and flender : it runs obliquely underthe furface, and has frequent little bulbous heads growing to it, and numerous clufters of fibres. The leaves are numerous, andnot unlike thofe of our common wood forrel: they ftand three together on long, tender footftalks, and are heartfafhioned, and of a pale green. Among thefe rife feveral tender, naked ftalks, taller than thofe of many of the leaves; and on each of thefe ftands a fingle flower. This is of a pale purple, very large, and very beautiful ; and confifts, like the others, of a fingle petal, fo deeply cut into five fegments, that they feem abfolutely difting. The feed-veffel is long and pointed. It is a native of AEthiopia, and flowersin May. Commelin calls it Oxys bulbofa Ethiopica minor Others, Great-flowered oxys. The leaves of all thefe foreign kinds have the fame four tafte with thofe of the common oxys, fome in a greater, fome in a lefler degree; but not one of them excels our own, They probably have all the fame virtues, differing only in proportion to the degree of acidity we perceive in their taftes, SPECIES. iol. NORE SS, XXII 2. Upright American WoodSorrel. MILK WOR T, Oxys Americana ereéia, g, flender, divided into feveral nifhed with many fibres. ves are fmall, and ftand on naked pedicles or footftalks, three on each, in the manner of the common wood forrel, but {maller, and paler, and the ftalk is fhorter. Among thefe rife numerous ftalks: they are eight or ten inches long, round, tender, very nuch branched ; and they lie upon the ground, taking root at the joints. The leaves on thefe ftand irregularly, and in all, refpeéts refemble thofe fromthe roots: they have long, flender footftalks, and three ftand on each: thefe are narrow, and of a heart-fafhioned fhape, the point growing to the ftalk, and the other end being deeply dented. The flowers ftand on fhort footftalks, two or more together, and are fmall and yellow. The feed-vefiel is long and edged, It is common in damp and fhady places in Italy, and flowers in May. C. Bauhine calls it Trifolium acetofum corniculatum. Others, Oxys Iuteaz, and Oxys Luteo fore. . large, andof a beautiful purple. The feed-veffel is long, ridg It is a native of fithiopia, and flowers in May. Burman calls it Oxalis bulbofa foliis anguftis ter- folio cordato. In the centre of thefe rifes the ftalk, and they foon after wither ; fo that there does not remain the Jeaft mark there ever were any. The ftalk is upright, firm, branched, and four or five inches high. The leaves ftand thick upon it from top to bottom: they grow three together without any CS 1. Yellow Wood Sorrel: 8 Fromthe bofoms of the upper leaves rife {mall andflender footftalks of a confiderable length ; 3. Purple bulbous WoodSorrel. XX. S UL GAshaAeN HERBAL The root is long, flender, and divided into many parts. The firft leaves are numerous, and ftand on long footftalks: they rife in a thick tuft, and on each footftalk there are three ; they are broad, heart-fafhioned, and ofa pale green. The ftalk rifes in the midft of thefe, andis hollow, ftriated, pale, and a foot andhalf high. The leaves ftand irregularly on this, and-refemble thofe from the root: they have long footftalks, and grow three on each, and are heartfafhioned. The flowers grow alfo on the-tops of | flender footftalks, many in a clufter : they are fmall, and ofa pale yellow, and quickly fall off. The feed-veffel is long, pointed, and edged; POLY China; rpHE flower confifts of a finele petal, divided to the bottom into four parts; fo that it appears to be formed of fo many diftiné& petals: the feed-veffel is a capfule of a comprefied, heart- fafhioned fhape ; the cup is compofed of three leaves, two of which ftand below, and the other three above the flower. This is a perplexing plant to moft of the fyftem-makers. Its flower is very fingular in form; therefore it has been called an irregular one, and moft have fuppofed the fegments fo many diftinét petals. Linnzeus places it among his diadelphia offandria, the threads in the flower being eight; and col: lected into two clufters, as if they rofe from two heads. Ray has ranged it better than any: he found that the fegments united at the bottom, andthe flower truly confifted of a fingle petal, and that the feed-veflél was fingle; he therefore juftly made it one of his Herbfrudu ficco fingulari flore monopetalo. DP TV-rst oN 1. BRITISH SP ECIS£S, and the cup remains withir. This is frequent in Virginia, and other parts of North America, and flowers in May. Tournefort calls it Oxys Americana erefior. x. Blue-flowered Milkwort, Polygala vulgaris. ‘The root is long, flender, divided into many parts, fpreading, and furnifhed with numerous The firft leaves are numerous, broad, and fort: they grow in little clufters wpon the young fhoots, and have no footftalks. The ftalks rife among thefe, and often thofe fhoots themfelves lengthen into ftalks: they are numerous, weak, procumbent, and of a pale ey green ; |
