Oxalis oregana Nutt. var. smallii (R. Knuth) M. Peck
Oxalis oregana Nutt.
Redwood sorrel
Redwood sorrel is a perennial native to northwestern North America. It is adapted to moist forests and the filtered light of forest understories. In full sunlight, the leaves fold down to protect themselves, sometimes fast enough so see.
Plants: 1¾–8″ (5–20 cm) tall.
Leaves: Basal, often fewer than ten. Triplets of heart-shaped leaves resemble large clover leaves. Each is ⅜–1¾″ (1–4.5 cm), on stalks (petioles) 1–8″ (3–20 cm) tall. Leaf undersides are purplish.
Flowers: White to pink, ⅞–1½″ (2.4–4 cm) in diameter. Each flower has five sepals and five petals.
Fruits: Seed capsules have five egg-shaped sections ¼–5/16″ (7–9 mm) long, with almond-shaped seeds.
Habitats: Cool, moist Douglas-fir and coastal redwood forests in the Cascade, Olympic, and Coast Mountains on the west coast of the United States.
Edibility: Leaves contain oxalates, toxic to some, but they are generally safe in small quantities.
Online References:
Oxalis acetosella L. ssp. oregana (Nutt.) D. Löve
Oxalis oregana Nutt. var. smallii (R. Knuth) M. Peck
Oxalis oregana Nutt. var. smallii (R. Knuth) M. Peck
1/14/2018 · Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, California · By Heather A. Kent 
1/14/2018 · Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, California · By Heather A. Kent 
8/28/2007 · Grove Trail, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Stout Grove, Crescent City, California 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Rosidae | Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more |
| Order | Geraniales | Balsams, mustards, geraniums, wood sorrels, nasturtiums, others |
| Family | Oxalidaceae | Wood sorrels |
| Genus | Oxalis | Wood sorrels (Oxalis means “sour”) |
| Species | oregana | Of or from the state of Oregon, or the old Hudson’s Bay territory of Oregon, which included the present-day states of Oregon and Washington |
Oxalis oregana description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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