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Suksdorf woodsorrel, Suksdorf's oxalis, Suksdorf's wood-sorrel, western yellow oxalis, western yellow wood-sorrel

purple woodsorrel, violet wood-sorrel

Habit Herbs perennial, caulescent, rhizomes present long, stolons absent, bulbs absent. Herbs perennial, acaulous, rhizomes usually absent, rarely present, slender, scaly, stolons absent, bulb solitary, bulblets at rhizome tips; bulb scales 3-nerved, margins villous-ciliate on distal 1/3–1/2.
Aerial stems

1(–3) from base, mostly erect, 10–25 cm, herbaceous, sparsely to moderately villous, hairs nonseptate and usually septate.

Leaves

cauline;

stipules rudimentary;

petiole (2–)3–5(–6) cm, hairs septate and nonseptate;

leaflets 3, green, obcordate, (8–)10–16(–20) mm, lobed 1/5–1/3 length, margins green, surfaces glabrous to sparsely strigose, oxalate deposits absent.

basal, rarely absent at flowering;

petiole (4–)7–13(–24) cm;

leaflets 3, green to purple abaxially, green adaxially, often with purplish, lateral band across lobes of each leaflet, rounded-obcordate to obreniform, (5–)8–15(–20) mm, lobed 1/4–1/3 length, lobes apically convex, surfaces glabrous, oxalate deposits in lines along margins at base of notch.

Inflorescences

umbelliform cymes, 1–3-flowered;

peduncles (2–)4–8(–10) cm.

umbelliform cymes, (1–)2–8(–19)-flowered;

scapes (6–)9–23(–31) cm, glabrous.

Flowers

tristylous, above level of leaves;

sepal apices without tubercles;

petals yellow, 12–20 mm.

distylous;

sepal apices with 2 orange, linear, apically confluent tubercles;

petals white to pale green proximally with green veins, rose purple or lavender to pink or white distally, 10–18 mm.

Capsules

oblong-cylindric, 10–15 mm, densely puberulent.

ovoid, 4–5 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 24.

= 28.

Oxalis suksdorfii

Oxalis violacea

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering Apr–May(–Jul) (with leaves) and Aug–Oct (usually without leaves, following rains).
Habitat Open woods, fir, Douglas fir-oak woodlands, dry shrublands, roadsides, disturbed areas. Sandy soils, gravelly soils, prairies, limestone glades, hills of granite, limestone, and rocky-clay, rock outcrops, bluffs, bottomland, oak-pine/heath, oak-hickory, live oak, or juniper woodlands, cutover pine forests, roadsides, disturbed sites, abandoned fields.
Elevation 0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.) 50–400(–1000) m. (200–1300(–3300) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NE; NJ; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; WY; Mexico (Coahuila)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Oxalis violacea in the flora area is native to the eastern United States, reaching westward as far as the line of states from North Dakota to Texas; it is apparently non-native in Oregon and Wyoming, if those plants are correctly identified. Plants identified by M. F. Denton (1973) as O. violacea and those considered to have affinity to that species from Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico are identified here as O. latifolia and O. metcalfei.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 145. FNA vol. 12, p. 150.
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. laxa, O. macrantha, O. metcalfei, O. montana, O. oregana, O. pes-caprae, O. pilosa, O. purpurea, O. stricta, 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. purpurea, O. stricta, O. suksdorfii, O. texana, O. triangularis, O. trilliifolia
Synonyms Xanthoxalis suksdorfii Ionoxalis violacea, O. violacea var. trichophora
Name authority Trelease: Mem. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 4: 89. (1888) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 434. (1753)
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