Oxalis acetosella

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Common wood sorrel
Oxalis acetosella LC0190.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Oxalidales
Family: Oxalidaceae
Genus: Oxalis
Species:
O. acetosella
Binomial name
Oxalis acetosella
L.

Oxalis acetosella, the wood sorrel or common wood sorrel, is a rhizomatous flowering plant in the family Oxalidaceae , common in most of Europe and parts of Asia. The specific epithet acetosella refers to its sour taste. The common name wood sorrel is often used for other plants in the genus Oxalis. In much of its range it is the only member of its genus and hence simply known as "the" wood sorrel. While common wood sorrel may be used to differentiate it from most other species of Oxalis, in North America, Oxalis montana is also called common wood sorrel. It is also known as Alleluia because it blossoms between Easter and Pentecost, when the Psalms which end with Hallelujah are sung.

Contents

Description

Oxalis acetosella, Otto Wilhelm Thome Flora von Deutschland Osterreich und der Schweiz (1885) Oxalis acetosella 1885 crop.jpg
Oxalis acetosella, Otto Wilhelm Thomé Flora von Deutschland Österreich und der Schweiz (1885)

The plant has trifoliate compound leaves, the leaflets heart-shaped and folded through the middle, that occur in groups of three on petioles up to 10 centimetres (3.9 in) long. It flowers from spring to midsummer with small white open-faced flowers with pink venation. Reddish or mauve flowers also occur rarely. [1] :116 During the night or when it rains the flowers close and the leaves fold.

As with other species of wood sorrel, the leaves are sometimes eaten by humans. An oxalate called "sal acetosella" was formerly extracted from the plant by boiling it.

Oxalis acetosella growing at Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland. Oxalis sp. leaves - 20020616.jpg
Oxalis acetosella growing at Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland.

Anemonoides nemorosa (wood anemone) is similar. Both have white flowers, are small, and are found in woody shady places. Anemonoides nemorosa however has palmately lobed leaves and does not have true petals but large sepals which are petal-like. [2]

Habitat

It grows in woods and shady places in the Northern Hemisphere. [1]

Distribution

The plant is commonly found in Great Britain [1] and Ireland. [3]

Note

The common wood sorrel is sometimes referred to as a shamrock and given as a gift on Saint Patrick's Day. This is due to its trifoliate clover-like leaf, and to early references to shamrock being eaten. Despite this, it is generally accepted that the plant described as "true" shamrock is a species of clover, usually lesser clover ( Trifolium dubium ).

Related Research Articles

<i>Anemone</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae

Anemone is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Plants of the genus are commonly called windflowers. They are native to the temperate and subtropical regions of all continents except Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica. The genus is closely related to several other genera including Anemonoides, Anemonastrum, Hepatica, and Pulsatilla. Some botanists include these genera within Anemone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shamrock</span> Sprig of young clover, used as a symbol of Ireland

A shamrock is a type of clover, used as a symbol of Ireland. Saint Patrick, one of Ireland's patron saints, is said to have used it as a metaphor for the Christian Holy Trinity. The name shamrock comes from Irish seamróg, which is the diminutive of the Irish word seamair and simply means "young clover".

<i>Oxalis oregana</i> Shade-loving trifoliate flowering plant

Oxalis oregana, known as redwood sorrel or Oregon oxalis, is a species of the wood sorrel family, Oxalidaceae, in the genus Oxalis native to moist Douglas-fir and coast redwood forests of western North America from southwestern British Columbia to Washington, Oregon, and California.

<i>Anemonoides nemorosa</i> Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Anemonoides nemorosa, the wood anemone, is an early-spring flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to Europe. Other common names include windflower, European thimbleweed, and smell fox, an allusion to the musky smell of the leaves. It is a perennial herbaceous plant growing 5–15 cm (2–6 in) tall.

<i>Oxalis</i> Genus of flowering plants

Oxalis is a large genus of flowering plants in the wood-sorrel family Oxalidaceae, comprising over 550 species. The genus occurs throughout most of the world, except for the polar areas; species diversity is particularly rich in tropical Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa.

<i>Oxalis corniculata</i> Species of yellow wood sorrel

Oxalis corniculata, the creeping woodsorrel, procumbent yellow sorrel or sleeping beauty, is a somewhat delicate-appearing, low-growing herbaceous plant in the family Oxalidaceae.

<i>Anemonoides ranunculoides</i> Flower in buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Anemonoides ranunculoides, the yellow anemone, yellow wood anemone, or buttercup anemone, is a species of herbaceous and perennial plant that grows in forests across Europe to western Asia, and less frequently in the Mediterranean region. It is occasionally found as a garden escape.

<i>Pulmonaria longifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Pulmonaria longifolia, is a semi-evergreen clump-forming herbaceous perennial plant, native to western Europe, including Britain, France, Spain, Portugal. It grows in semi-shaded habitats, such as woodland and scrub, to 2000 m above sea level.

<i>Anemonoides quinquefolia</i> Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Anemonoides quinquefolia, a flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, is native to North America. It is commonly called wood anemone or windflower, not to be confused with Anemonoides nemorosa, a closely related European species also known by these common names. The specific epithet quinquefolia means "five-leaved", which is a misnomer since each leaf has just three leaflets. A plant typically has a single, small white flower with 5 sepals.

NVC community W11 is one of the woodland communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system. It is one of the six communities falling in the "mixed deciduous and oak/birch woodlands" group.

<i>Oxalis violacea</i> Species of flowering plant

Oxalis violacea, the violet wood-sorrel, is a perennial plant and herb in the family Oxalidaceae. It is native to the eastern and central United States.

<i>Oxalis stricta</i> Species of flowering plant

Oxalis stricta, called the common yellow woodsorrel, common yellow oxalis, upright yellow-sorrel, lemon clover, or more ambiguously and informally "sourgrass", "sheep weed", or "pickle plant", is a herbaceous plant native to North America, parts of Eurasia, and a rare introduction in Britain. It tends to grow in woodlands, meadows, and in disturbed areas as both a perennial and annual. Erect when young, this plant later becomes decumbent as it lies down, and branches regularly. It is not to be confused with similar plants in the same genus which are also often referred to as "yellow woodsorrel".

<i>Oxalis triangularis</i> Species of flowering plant

Oxalis triangularis, commonly called false shamrock, is a species of perennial plant in the family Oxalidaceae. It is native to several countries in southern South America. This woodsorrel is typically grown as a houseplant but can be grown outside in USDA climate zones 8a–11, preferably in light shade.

<i>Anemonoides oregana</i> Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Anemonoides oregana is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common names blue windflower, Oregon anemone, and western wood anemone. It is native to the forests of Washington, Oregon, and northern California in western North America, generally below 7,000 feet (2,100 m) elevation.

<i>Oxalis tetraphylla</i> Species of flowering plant

Oxalis tetraphylla is a bulbous herbaceous perennial plant from Mexico. It is sometimes sold as lucky clover or shamrock. In the wild or feral state it is often called four-leaved wood-sorrel after its family, Oxalidaceae. Other English common names for this plant include Lucky Clover, Four-Leaf Sorrel, Four-Leaf Pink-Sorrel and others. It is sometimes called "the iron cross plant" or "oxalis iron cross" because the leaves loosely resemble the iron cross symbol, though this name is not a classic folk term and has fallen out of favour due to the bad political connotations associated with this symbol.

<i>Oxalis glabra</i> Species of flowering plant

Oxalis glabra is a member of the wood-sorrel family, Oxalidaceae. It is only one of the 800 total species belonging to this family. The plant is commonly known as finger-leaf due to its trifoliate leaf structure. This trifoliate structure can be seen in variations throughout all members of the genus Oxalis. However, the particularly narrow leaflets of the glabra plant look more like fingers rather than a common clover. The plant is native to South Africa and can be found carpeting the ground of woodlands and bushlands.

<i>Oxalis montana</i> Species of flowering plant

Oxalis montana is a species of flowering plant in the family Oxalidaceae known by the common names mountain woodsorrel, wood shamrock, sours and white woodsorrel. It may also be called common woodsorrel, though this name also applies to its close relative, Oxalis acetosella.

<i>Oxalis articulata</i> Species of flowering plant

Oxalis articulata, known as pink-sorrel, pink wood sorrel, windowbox wood-sorrel, Chari amilo (Nepal),sourgrass,Netho (khatta) saag (India) is a perennial plant species in the genus Oxalis native to temperate South America. It has been introduced in Europe in gardens and is now naturalized in these areas.

<i>Oxalis debilis</i> Species of flowering plant

Oxalis debilis, the large-flowered pink-sorrel or pink woodsorrel, is a perennial plant and herb in the family Oxalidaceae. Its original distribution is South America but has become a very cosmopolitan species, occurring in all continents except Antarctica. It can be found in both temperate and tropical areas.

<i>Oxalis dillenii</i> Species of flowering plant


Oxalis dillenii, the southern wood-sorrel, slender yellow woodsorrel, or Dillen's oxalis, is a species in the woodsorrel family. Like other Oxalis species, the leaves of this plant resemble clover leaves, with three leaflets. The flowers have five yellow petals that are 4 to 10 mm in length. The leaflets are 1 to 2 cm wide with pointed hairs. The fruits are rather brown and are 1.5 to 2.5 cm. It is often considered a weed, and can be found worldwide, but likely originated in North America.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. and Warburg E.F. 1968. Excursion Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   0 521 04656 4
  2. Parnell, J. and Curtis, T. 2012. Webb's An Irish Flora. Cork University Press. ISBN   978-185918-4783
  3. Scannell, M.J.P. and Synnott, D.M. 1972 Census Catalogue of the Flora of Ireland Dublin Paperback. Stationery Office. ASIN: B0006CRR94 pp 127