Flora of North America species comparison

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Oxalis laxa

Oxalis hirta

dwarf wood-sorrel

tropical wood-sorrel
Habit Herbs annual, caulescent, sometimes densely cespitose, rhizomes and stolons absent, bulbs absent.
Plants

apparently do not fruit in California.
Aerial stems

1–5 from base, erect, 0.5–7 cm, usually herbaceous, sometimes becoming ± woody proximally, hirtellous to villous-hirtellous.

Leaves

cauline;

stipules rudimentary;

petiole 1.5–6 cm;

leaflets 3, green, obcordate, 5–12 mm, lobed 1/5 length, lobes apically convex, surfaces glabrous, oxalate deposits absent.

Inflorescences

racemes, 6–14-flowered;

peduncles 3–15 cm.

Flowers

heterostylous;

sepal apices without tubercles;

petals yellow, 6–12 mm.

Capsules

ovoid to spheric, 3–5 mm, puberulent.

Oxalis

hirta is recognized by its rhizomatous habit, sessile to subsessile leaves with unlobed leaflets, and large, solitary, axillary flowers.
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Salter

(1944) referred to O. hirta as a polymorphous group-species and recognized seven varieties in South Africa, primarily based on variation in habit and corolla color (white to pink, purplish, or yellowish) and shape (funnelform to cylindric).

Oxalis laxa

Oxalis hirta
Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Disturbed sites, riparian woodlands, riverbanks, gravelly beaches, rock crevices, foothill woodlands.
Elevation 10–800 m. [30–2600 ft.]
Distribution
from FNA
CA; South America (Chile) [Introduced in North America]
from USDA
Africa (South Africa) [Introduced, Calif.; introduced also in Europe, Australia]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Oxalis laxa is widespread in California in the eastern part of the Central Valley and along the central coast.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Varieties 5–7 (1 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 145. FNA vol. 12, p. 146.
Parent taxa Oxalidaceae > Oxalis Oxalidaceae > Oxalis
Sibling taxa
O. albicans, O. articulata, O. bowiei, O. brasiliensis, O. caerulea, O. californica, O. colorea, O. corniculata, O. debilis, O. decaphylla, O. dichondrifolia, O. dillenii, O. drummondii, O. florida, O. frutescens, O. grandis, O. hirta, O. hispidula, O. illinoensis, O. incarnata, O. intermedia, O. latifolia, O. macrantha, O. metcalfei, O. montana, O. oregana, O. pes-caprae, O. pilosa, O. purpurea, O. stricta, O. suksdorfii, O. texana, O. triangularis, O. trilliifolia, O. violacea
O. albicans, O. articulata, O. bowiei, O. brasiliensis, O. caerulea, O. californica, O. colorea, O. corniculata, O. debilis, O. decaphylla, O. dichondrifolia, O. dillenii, O. drummondii, O. florida, O. frutescens, O. grandis, O. hispidula, O. illinoensis, O. incarnata, O. intermedia, O. latifolia, O. laxa, O. macrantha, O. metcalfei, O. montana, O. oregana, O. pes-caprae, O. pilosa, O. purpurea, O. stricta, O. suksdorfii, O. texana, O. triangularis, O. trilliifolia, O. violacea
Subordinate taxa
O. hirta var. hirta
Synonyms O. corniculata var. sericea, O. micrantha, O. radicosa, O. simulans
Name authority Hooker & Arnott: Bot. Beechey Voy., 13. (1830) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 434. (1753)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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