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Oxalis stricta L.
Common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis
Oxalis is widespread in North America, though it is not known whether it is native or
introduced from Europe.
Plants: 3–8″ (7.6–20 cm) tall, rarely reaching 1′ (30 cm). Heavily
branched, especially near the base. Stems are light green and smooth, or covered with short appressed hairs,
lying flat against the stems. Younger plants may be hairier.
Leaves: Alternate, trifoliate, cloverlike, folding up like
miniature parasols when
there is too much sun. Leaves appear atop upward-pointed petioles up to 2½″ (6.3 cm) in length.
They are usually green, sometimes outlined in purplish, rarely dark reddish purple.
They are usually hairless.
Leaflets are obcordate (heart-shaped), with smooth edges. Individual leaflets are
¼–½″ (6.3–12 mm) in size.
Flowers: Yellow, in groups of 2-7 on umbels. Each flower is
5/16–¼″ (8.3–6.3 mm) in diameter, with 5 yellow petals, 5 light green sepals, 10 stamens, and a pistil. Flowers appear from late spring to mid-fall.
Fruits: Seed capsules occur in groups of 3-5. They look like little
green bananas, bent slightly, ⅜–¾″ (9.5–19 mm) long, and five-sided. Ripening capsules split
into five sections, exploding seeds up to several feet away. Seeds are just over 1/32″ (1 mm) long
brown, oval, and flattened.
Habitats: Open woodlands, meadows, lawns, gardens, disturbed areas, and sunny waste areas.
Edibility: Leaves are edible as salad greens or cook as potherbs if
combined with other milder greens. They contain oxalic acid which is poisonous unless eaten sparingly.
Ceratoxalis coloradensis (Rydb.) Lunell Ceratoxalis cymosa (Small) Lunell Oxalis bushii (Small) Small Oxalis coloradensis Rydb. Oxalis cymosa Small Oxalis europaea Jord. Oxalis europaea Jord. var. bushii (Small) Wiegand Oxalis europaea Jord. var. rufa (Small) Young Oxalis fontana Bunge Oxalis fontana Bunge var. bushii (Small) H. Hara Oxalis interior (Small) Fedde Oxalis rufa Small Oxalis stricta L. var. decumbens Bitter Oxalis stricta L. var. piletocarpa Wiegand Oxalis stricta L. var. rufa (Small) Farw. Oxalis stricta L. var. villicaulis (Wiegand) Farw. Xanthoxalis bushii Small Xanthoxalis coloradensis (Rydb.) Rydb. Xanthoxalis cymosa (Small) Small Xanthoxalis dillenii (Jacq.) Holub var. piletocarpa (Wiegand) Holub Xanthoxalis interior Small Xanthoxalis rufa (Small) Small Xanthoxalis stricta (L.) Small Xanthoxalis stricta (L.) Small var. piletocarpa (Wiegand) Moldenke
