nd mealy, of the flavor of the potato, with a very
slight acidity. The tender, succulent stalks and foliage are used as
salad.

OXALIS, RED TUBEROUS-ROOTED.

Oca colorada.

Plant similar in habit to the White Tuberous-rooted; but the branches,
as well as the under surface of the leaves, are more or less stained
with red. Tubers larger than those of the last named, roundish, tapering
towards the connection with the plant, and furnished with numerous eyes
in the manner of the common potato; skin smooth, purplish-red; flesh
often three-colored,--the outer portion of the tuber carmine-red, the
central part marbled, and the intermediate portion yellow,--the colors,
when the root is divided transversely, appearing in concentric zones, or
rings. The flesh contains but little farinaceous matter, and possesses a
certain degree of acidity, which, to many palates, is not agreeable.

Propagated, and in all respects cultivated, like the White. Either of
the varieties may also be grown from cuttings, which root readily.

According to a statement from the London Horticultural Society's
Journal, the acidity may be converted into a sugary flavor by exposing
the tubers to the action of the sun for eight or ten days,--a phenomenon
which is analogous to what takes place in the ripening of most fruits.
When treated in this form, the tubers lose all trace of acidity, and
become as floury as the best descriptions of potatoes. If the action of
the sun is continued for a long period, the tubers become of the
consistence and sweet taste of figs. Mr. Thompson states that the
disagreeable acid taste may also be removed by changing the water when
they are three-quarters boiled.

The plants are tender, and are generally destroyed early in autumn by
frost. The tubers must be taken up before freezing weather, packed in
sand, and placed in a dry, warm cellar for the winter.

DEPPE'S OXALIS. _Thomp._ _Vil._

Oxalis Deppei.

A perennial plant from Mexico, very distinct from the tuberous-rooted
species before described. Stalk about one foot in height, smooth and
branching; leaves four together, the leaflets wedge-shaped, pale
yellowish-green, the upper surface marked by two brownish lines or
stains in the form of two sides of a triangle; flowers terminal, of a
carmine-rose or pink-red color, stained with green at the base of the
petals. "The roots are fleshy, tapering, white, and semi-transparent,
and furnished on the top of the crown with a