Oxalis pes-caprae |
Oxalis intermedia |
|
---|---|---|
African wood-sorrel, Bermuda buttercup, soursob |
West Indian wood-sorrel |
|
Habit | Herbs perennial, acaulous, rhizomes present vertical, white, rootlike, stolons absent, bulb usually solitary, sometimes with bulblets at base; bulb scales not observed. | 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. |
Leaves | basal, rarely absent at flowering; petiole 3–12 cm; leaflets 3, green, rarely mottled with purplish red spots, angular-obcordate, (5–)7–20 mm, lobed 1/4–2/5 length, lobes apically convex, margins and abaxial surface villous, adaxial surface 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 | umbelliform cymes, 2–12(–20)-flowered; scapes often becoming fistulose proximally, 15–30 cm, sparsely villous to pilose. |
umbelliform cymes, 3–12(–18)-flowered; scapes 7–30 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy. |
Flowers | tristylous in diploids and tetraploids, consistently short-styled in pentaploids; sepal apices with 2 orange tubercles; petals deep golden yellow, 15–20 mm. |
semihomostylous; sepal apices with 2 orange tubercles; petals usually lavender to purple, less commonly pink or white, 8–12 mm. |
Capsules | not seen. |
ellipsoid, 3–8 mm, glabrous. |
2n | = 14, 28, 35. |
|
Oxalis pes-caprae |
Oxalis intermedia |
|
Phenology | Flowering Nov–Apr. | Flowering Apr–Sep. |
Habitat | Disturbed areas, orchards, fields, grasslands, oak woodlands, coastal sage, dunes. | Gardens, fields, orchards, roadsides, moist waste areas, fencerows. |
Elevation | 10–500 m. (0–1600 ft.) | 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; s Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in West Indies, Bermuda, South America, Europe, Asia (China, Iran, Turkey), n Africa, Australia]
|
FL; LA; TX; West Indies [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico (Chiapas, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz)] |
Discussion | Outside its native range, Oxalis pes-caprae is mostly represented by a sterile pentaploid morph, although tetraploids also are known. The occurrence of both pentaploid and tetraploid individuals in the exotic range may be the result of independent introductions (P. Michael 1964; R. Ornduff 1986). Fruit production has not been observed in North America, and the plants are assumed to be seed-sterile (Ornduff 1987). Bulbs of O. pes-caprae are rarely collected, as they detach easily from the vertical, rootlike stems. Each bulb may produce over 20, small, whitish bulblets each year. Bulblets may also be formed at the soil surface crown. Oxalis pes-caprae was reported by J. K. Small (1933) to occur in waste places and cultivated grounds in northern Florida, but as noted by D. B. Ward (2004), no Florida specimens are known. (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. 146. | FNA vol. 12, p. 151. |
Parent taxa | Oxalidaceae > Oxalis | Oxalidaceae > Oxalis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | O. cernua | Ionoxalis intermedia |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 434. (1753) | A. Richard: Hist. Phys. Cuba, Pl. Vasc., 315. (1841) |
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