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dwarf wood-sorrel

purple oxalis, purple wood-sorrel

Habit Herbs annual, caulescent, sometimes densely cespitose, rhizomes and stolons absent, bulbs absent. Herbs perennial, acaulous, rhizomes present, slender, sparsely scaly, stolons absent, bulb solitary, 1–2.5 cm, or with clustered bulblets; bulb scales black, thickened, not prominently 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 (1.5–)3–5 cm;

leaflets 3, green to deep purple abaxially, green adaxially, broadly obovate to obtriangular or broadly rounded-rhombic, 10–20 mm, not lobed, apex truncate to rounded or obtuse, rarely slightly emarginate, margins and abaxial surface hairy, adaxial surface glabrous, oxalate deposits absent.

Inflorescences

racemes, 6–14-flowered;

peduncles 3–15 cm.

1-flowered;

scapes 1.5–6(–8) cm, sparsely to moderately villous, hairs eglandular.

Flowers

heterostylous;

sepal apices without tubercles;

petals yellow, 6–12 mm.

tristylous;

sepal apices without tubercles;

petals yellow basally, usually purple to red, pink, salmon, or white, rarely yellow, distally, 25–35 mm.

Capsules

ovoid to spheric, 3–5 mm, puberulent.

not seen.

Oxalis laxa

Oxalis purpurea

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Feb–Apr.
Habitat Disturbed sites, riparian woodlands, riverbanks, gravelly beaches, rock crevices, foothill woodlands. Waste places, especially near gardens.
Elevation 10–800 m. (0–2600 ft.) 20–100 m. (100–300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; South America (Chile) [Introduced in North America]
from FNA
CA; s Africa [Introduced in North America; 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.)

Oxalis purpurea is widely cultivated as an ornamental because of its large, solitary flowers in many color forms, borne on short scapes barely higher than the level of the leaves. Plants of O. purpurea apparently do not produce fertile fruit in California, where it is naturalized in scattered central and southern coastal counties.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 145. FNA vol. 12, p. 148.
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. pilosa, O. stricta, O. suksdorfii, O. texana, O. triangularis, O. trilliifolia, O. violacea
Synonyms O. corniculata var. sericea, O. micrantha, O. radicosa, O. simulans O. variabilis
Name authority Hooker & Arnott: Bot. Beechey Voy., 13. (1830) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 433. (1753)
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