THE VINE TRIBE.

1215

Oxa'lis Acetosel'la, Linn. L.— Common Woodsorrel.

Sex. Syst. Decandria, Pentagynia.

t}li ^T° R Y.—Mr. Bicheno (Phil. Mag. vol. vii. p. 288, N. S.) declaresg to be the genuine shamrock.

five ° TANy ' Cen. Char. — Sepals five, free or united at the base. Petals' Stamens ten; filaments slightly monadelphous at the base, the fivet alternate ones shorter. Styles five, pencilled at the apex or

4 ^ at e. Capsule pentagonal, oblong, or cylindrical (D. C.) —PerennialLeaves never abruptly pinnate.

I'll/ ^ 11AR -— Leaves all radical, temate; leaflets inversely heart-shaped,Scape single-flowered. Root [rhizome] scaly (Hooker),at tl? 6le S an t httle plant. Leaflets delicate bright green, often purplisht'Vo 6 ^ ac k, drooping at night. Footstalks slender, purplish. Bractsfj Sca ly. Flowers drooping, white, with purplish veins.

Indigenous ; woody and shady places. Flowers in May.is» Esckipti °n-—W oodsorrel (herba acetosella) is odourless. Its tastet^eeably acidulous.

its p 0XlPosiTION -—I am unacquainted with any analysis of this plant.(^/Pressed juice yields by evaporation binoxalate of potash. Payenits L n ‘ Lhim. Med. t. i. p. 260 N. S.) analyzed Oxalis crenata. From'ot T(i e,ris he obtained water , lignin, oxalate of potash, albumen, soluble,J ^i(l^ en ° Us matter, chlorophylle, oxalate of ammonia, free oxalic acid,°*al !’ Sa ^ s ) gum, aromatic substance, and sugar. The quantity ofa e °f potash was from 1‘06 to 1'23 per cent. _

of Potash; Salt of Woodsorrel .—In Switzerland and some parts of^Pfess i dl ' s salt is obtained on the large scale from woodsorrel, by evaporating thejuice, redissolving the residue, and crystallizing. 500 parts of the plant8 %< !(:t 0U / P arts of the crystallized salt. In this country it is usually obtained, IHite rh by , .* le addition of potash or its carbonate to oxalic acid. It crystallizes in0In bic prisms. It consists of

Atoms. Eq. Wt.

Oxalic acid . 2 72

Potash. 1 48

Water . 2 18

. Crystallized binoxalate potash l . 138

^-MoulT loyed > un£ ler the name of essential salt of lemons, to remove ink-stains andl^'de g as as bom linen. When heated with oil of vitriol, carbonic acid and carbonicf l fie e y S a ! e ev °l ve d, while bisulphate of potash is formed. Hence it may be usede,| >ar P er >niental chemist, to furnish the latter of these gases : the carbonic acidSren >oved by lime or potash.

OLog ical Effects and Uses. — Woodsorrel is refrigerant,r , a sa lad, it is considered a good anti-scorbutic. Infused in milk,l'°ti '' 1G y, or in water, it furnishes a grateful drink in fevers. A solu-le binoxalate of potash has been employed as a substitute for

Order 65. —Vita'ce^e, Bindley. —The Vine Tribe.

AMPELIDEiE, Kunth, Decandolle.

i O

ij 8e,, ted (ln II ')[) ACTER —Calyx small, nearly entire at the edge. Petals four or five,w ards at tif be ° ,,Es[( ^ e of the disk surrounding the ovary ; in {estivation turnedhe ed 8-e, in a valvate manner, and often inflected at the point. Stamens