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dwarf wood-sorrel

hairy western wood-sorrel, hairy wood sorrel

Habit Herbs annual, caulescent, sometimes densely cespitose, rhizomes and stolons absent, bulbs absent. Herbs perennial, caulescent, rhizomes and stolons absent, bulbs absent.
Aerial stems

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

usually 2–8 from base, decumbent to ascending, 10–40 cm, becoming woody proximally, sparsely to densely pilose, hairs spreading irregularly to ± deflexed, nonseptate, longer hairs 0.6–1.2 mm.

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 and cauline;

stipules oblong, margins narrowly flanged, apical auricles absent;

petiole (1–)2–6 cm, hairs nonseptate;

leaflets 3, glaucous and gray-green to yellowish green, obcordate, 5–12 mm, lobed 1/5–1/3 length, surfaces glabrous to loosely strigose to hirsute-villous, oxalate deposits absent.

Inflorescences

racemes, 6–14-flowered;

peduncles 3–15 cm.

umbelliform cymes, 1–2(–3)-flowered;

peduncles 1.5–5 cm.

Flowers

heterostylous;

sepal apices without tubercles;

petals yellow, 6–12 mm.

semihomostylous or distylous, within level of leaves;

sepal apices without tubercles, surfaces strigose to hirsute-strigose;

petals yellow, rarely with red lines proximally, 8–12 mm.

Capsules

ovoid to spheric, 3–5 mm, puberulent.

angular-cylindric, abruptly tapering to apex, 12–17(–20) mm, strigose-hirsute.

Seeds

brown to blackish brown, transverse ridges rarely with whitish lines or spots.

Oxalis laxa

Oxalis pilosa

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering (Feb–)Mar–Jun(–Oct).
Habitat Disturbed sites, riparian woodlands, riverbanks, gravelly beaches, rock crevices, foothill woodlands. Juniper-grasslands, pinyon-juniper, oak-juniper, oak, oak-pine, rocky and grassy hillsides, riparian woods (sycamore-walnut, cottonwood-willow), canyons, stream banks, washes, gravel bars.
Elevation 10–800 m. (0–2600 ft.) (700–)900–1900(–2000) m. ((2300–)3000–6200(–6600) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; South America (Chile) [Introduced in North America]
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; NV; OR; UT; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, Sonora)
[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 pilosa has been treated as an infraspecific entity within O. albicans, but the two are sympatric in the southwestern United States and although each is variable, there appear to be relatively few unequivocal intermediates. Reports of O. pilosa from Texas apparently were based on misidentifications of O. albicans and perhaps also of O. dillenii.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 145. FNA vol. 12, p. 143.
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. intermedia, O. latifolia, O. laxa, O. macrantha, O. metcalfei, O. montana, O. oregana, O. pes-caprae, 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 O. albicans subsp. pilosa, O. corniculata subsp. pilosa, O. corniculata var. pilosa, O. wrightii var. pilosa, Xanthoxalis pilosa
Name authority Hooker & Arnott: Bot. Beechey Voy., 13. (1830) Nuttall: in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 212. (1838)
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