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Oxalis stricta L.

Oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassRosidaeRoses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
OrderGeranialesBalsams, mustards, geraniums, wood sorrels, nasturtiums, others
FamilyOxalidaceaeWood sorrels
GenusOxalisWood sorrels (Oxalis means “sour”)
SpeciesstrictaUpright

About plant names...

Oxalis is widespread in North America, though it is not known whether it is native or introduced from Europe. It prefers open woodlands, meadows, lawns, gardens, dis­turbed areas, and sunny waste areas.

Plants: 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.

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.

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.

These are closely similar (see also this comparison):

 

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

9/7/2020 · Maquoit Bay Conservation Area, Brunswick, Maine
≈ 7 × 4½" (18 × 12 cm)

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

The furled leaves might be a reaction to heat or dryness. · 5/19/2016 · Bemis Road Trails, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 9 × 7" (22 × 17 cm)

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

1/19/2021 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

7/17/2017 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

1/19/2021 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts

  You are here
Oxalis stricta

Oxalis corniculata
Common Name

oxalis

creeping woodsorrel
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.
Range/ Zones

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 stricta at Illinois Wildflowers

Oxalis stricta at Minnesota Wildflowers

Oxalis stricta on Missouriplants.com

Oxalis stricta on Fall Wildflowers of New England

Oxalis stricta on the New England Wildflower Society’s GoBotany site

Oxalis stricta at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

References:

Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 176

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

7/17/2017 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 7 × 8" (16 × 19 cm)

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

8/6/2017 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

6/3/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hamp­shire
≈ 10 × 7" (25 × 16 cm)

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

8/5/2019 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Wildflower Trail, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 12 cm)

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

7/28/2009 · Tom & Susan’s House, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 7 × 5" (16 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

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

 

Oxalis stricta description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 17 Aug 2021.

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Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

6/3/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

7/17/2017 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 5 × 8" (13 × 20 cm)

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

9/25/2017 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4 × 3" (11 × 8.3 cm)

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

8/25/2017 · Pack Monadnock, near summit, Peterborough, New Hamp­shire
≈ 5 × 4½" (12 × 12 cm)

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

9/25/2017 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 6 × 4½" (15 × 11 cm)

Oxalis stricta (oxalis, common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, yellow wood-sorrel, common yellow wood-sorrel)

8/27/2016 · Williams Barn and Sørhaug Woods, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts

Range:

About this map...