FNA: Oxalis laxa vs. Oxalis intermedia

	Oxalis laxa	Oxalis intermedia
	dwarf wood-sorrel	West Indian wood-sorrel
Habit	Herbs annual, caulescent, sometimes densely cespitose, rhizomes and stolons absent, bulbs absent.	Herbs perennial, acaulous, rhizomes absent, stolons often present, numerous, slender, with bulblets at tips, bulbs usually clustered, sometimes solitary; bulb scales (3–)5–7-nerved.
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.	basal, rarely absent at flowering; petiole 10–22 cm; leaflets 3, green, obtriangular to broadly obtriangular, 20–50 mm, lobed 1/5–1/3 length, lobes apically truncate, surfaces glabrous, oxalate deposits absent.
Inflorescences	racemes, 6–14-flowered; peduncles 3–15 cm.	umbelliform cymes, 3–12(–18)-flowered; scapes 7–30 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy.
Flowers	heterostylous; sepal apices without tubercles; petals yellow, 6–12 mm.	semihomostylous; sepal apices with 2 orange tubercles; petals usually lavender to purple, less commonly pink or white, 8–12 mm.
Capsules	ovoid to spheric, 3–5 mm, puberulent.	ellipsoid, 3–8 mm, glabrous.

	Oxalis laxa	Oxalis intermedia
Phenology	Flowering Apr–Jun.	Flowering Apr–Sep.
Habitat	Disturbed sites, riparian woodlands, riverbanks, gravelly beaches, rock crevices, foothill woodlands.	Gardens, fields, orchards, roadsides, moist waste areas, fencerows.
Elevation	10–800 m. (0–2600 ft.)	0–100 m. (0–300 ft.)
Distribution	CA; South America (Chile) [Introduced in North America]	FL; LA; TX; West Indies [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico (Chiapas, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz)] [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.)	Oxalis intermedia is recognized by a combination of its large, obtriangular leaflets; numerous, small flowers; and usually clustered bulbs. It was collected in California in 1934 and Massachusetts in 1940 but does not appear to have become naturalized in either state. Plants in the flora area are usually without fertile fruit. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 12, p. 145.	FNA vol. 12, p. 151.
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. hirta, O. hispidula, O. illinoensis, O. incarnata, 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
Synonyms	O. corniculata var. sericea, O. micrantha, O. radicosa, O. simulans	Ionoxalis intermedia
Name authority	Hooker & Arnott: Bot. Beechey Voy., 13. (1830)	A. Richard: Hist. Phys. Cuba, Pl. Vasc., 315. (1841)
Web links	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local Web sites: LA Plants WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Oxalis intermedia

dwarf wood-sorrel

West Indian wood-sorrel

Habit

Herbs annual, caulescent, sometimes densely cespitose, rhizomes and stolons absent, bulbs absent.

Herbs perennial, acaulous, rhizomes absent, stolons often present, numerous, slender, with bulblets at tips, bulbs usually clustered, sometimes solitary; bulb scales (3–)5–7-nerved.

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.

basal, rarely absent at flowering;

petiole 10–22 cm;

leaflets 3, green, obtriangular to broadly obtriangular, 20–50 mm, lobed 1/5–1/3 length, lobes apically truncate, surfaces glabrous, oxalate deposits absent.

Inflorescences

racemes, 6–14-flowered;

peduncles 3–15 cm.

umbelliform cymes, 3–12(–18)-flowered;

scapes 7–30 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy.

Flowers

heterostylous;

sepal apices without tubercles;

petals yellow, 6–12 mm.

semihomostylous;

sepal apices with 2 orange tubercles;

petals usually lavender to purple, less commonly pink or white, 8–12 mm.

Capsules

ovoid to spheric, 3–5 mm, puberulent.

ellipsoid, 3–8 mm, glabrous.

Oxalis intermedia

Phenology

Flowering Apr–Jun.

Flowering Apr–Sep.

Habitat

Disturbed sites, riparian woodlands, riverbanks, gravelly beaches, rock crevices, foothill woodlands.

Gardens, fields, orchards, roadsides, moist waste areas, fencerows.

Elevation

10–800 m. (0–2600 ft.)

0–100 m. (0–300 ft.)

Distribution

CA; South America (Chile) [Introduced in North America]

FL; LA; TX; West Indies [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico (Chiapas, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz)]

[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.)

Oxalis intermedia is recognized by a combination of its large, obtriangular leaflets; numerous, small flowers; and usually clustered bulbs. It was collected in California in 1934 and Massachusetts in 1940 but does not appear to have become naturalized in either state. Plants in the flora area are usually without fertile fruit.

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

Source

FNA vol. 12, p. 145.

FNA vol. 12, p. 151.

Parent taxa

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. hirta, O. hispidula, O. illinoensis, O. incarnata, 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

Synonyms

O. corniculata var. sericea, O. micrantha, O. radicosa, O. simulans

Ionoxalis intermedia

Name authority

Hooker & Arnott: Bot. Beechey Voy., 13. (1830)

A. Richard: Hist. Phys. Cuba, Pl. Vasc., 315. (1841)

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).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America

The species comparison tool is brought to you by:

Flora of North America species comparison

Oxalis laxa

Oxalis intermedia

Oxalis laxa

Oxalis intermedia