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Oxalis corniculata Oxalis corniculata L. Acetosella corniculata (L.) Kuntze Oxalis corniculata L. var. atropurpurea Planch. Oxalis corniculata L. var. langloisii (Small) Wiegand Oxalis corniculata L. var. lupulina (R. Knuth) Zucc. Oxalis corniculata L. var. macrophylla Arsene ex R. Knuth Oxalis corniculata L. var. minor Laing Oxalis corniculata L. var. reptans Laing Oxalis corniculata L. var. villosa (M. Bieb.) Hohen. Oxalis corniculata L. var. viscidula Wiegand Oxalis langloisii (Small) Fedde Oxalis pusilla Salisb. Oxalis repens Thunb. Oxalis villosa M. Bieb. Xanthoxalis corniculata (L.) Small Xanthoxalis corniculata (L.) Small var. atropurpurea (Planch.) Moldenke Xanthoxalis langloisii Small Xanthoxalis repens (Thunb.) Moldenke Creeping Woodsorrel, Procumbent Yellow Sorrel, Sleeping Beauty, Creeping Wood Sorrel
Creeping woodsorrel is either native to or naturalized in North America. They are common, preferring waste places, lawns, and gardens. Plants: Plants are low-growing, prostrate, up to 4" (10 cm), and rather delicate and vulnerable-looking. It spreads by producing creeping, horizontal stems (stolons) up to 12" (30 cm) long. Leaves: Trifoliate, with three rounded heart-shaped leaflets, like clover. They fold up like miniature parasols when there is little sun. Leaves are purple-green or dark purple, and somewhat hairy, especially along leaf margins. Leaves are ⅛-⅜" (6-10 mm) × ⅛-⅞" (4-25 mm). Leafs stalks are longer than in most plants, up to 2½" (7 cm). Flowers: Flowers are bright yellow, with five petals, in clusters of 2-7, ⅛-½" (3.2-12 mm) around, appearing from June to September. Flower stalks are erect or ascending. Fruits: Narrow, cylindrical capsules, ⅛-1" (6-28 mm) long. When it dries it “explodes,” spreading is ¹/₃₂" (1 mm) seeds. These are closely similar (see also this comparison): |
7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, ME
6/23/2017 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, MA
12/12/2016 · Bonsai West, Littleton, MA
5/19/2016 · Bemis Road Trails, Pepperell, MA |
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Oxalis stricta |
You are here Oxalis corniculata |
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| Plant | 3-8" (7.6-20 cm) tall, rarely reaching 12" (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. | Low-growing, prostrate, up to 4" (10 cm), and rather delicate. It spreads by producing creeping, horizontal stems (stolons) up to 12" (30 cm) long. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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. | Bright yellow, with five petals, in clusters of 2-7, ⅛-½" (3.2-12 mm) around, appearing from June to September. Flower stalks are erect or ascending. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leaves | Alternate, trifoliate, cloverlike, folding up like miniature parasols when there is little 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. | Trifoliate, with three rounded heart-shaped leaflets, like clover. They fold up like miniature parasols when there is little sun. Leaves are purple-green or dark purple, and somewhat hairy, especially along leaf margins. Leaves are ⅛-⅜" (6-10 mm) × ⅛-⅞" (4-25 mm). Leafs stalks are longer than in most plants, up to 2½" (7 cm). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fruit | 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. | Narrow, cylindrical capsules, ⅛-1" (6-28 mm) long. When it dries it “explodes,” spreading is ¹/₃₂" (1 mm) seeds. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Habitats | Open woodlands, meadows, lawns, gardens, disturbed areas, and sunny waste areas. | Waste places, lawns, and gardens. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Wild | Wild | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occurrence | Common | Common | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.
Online References:
Oxalis corniculata on ipm.ucanr.edu
Oxalis corniculata on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants
References:
Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 176
Oxalis corniculata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 20 Oct 2017.
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6/23/2017 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, MA
≈ 4 × 5" (10 × 13 cm) 
Range:
