Oxalis oregana

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Oxalis oregana
Oxalis oregana 4988.JPG
Redwood sorrel
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. oregana
Binomial name
Oxalis oregana

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. [1] [2]

Contents

Description

Flowers occur singly; the sepal length is 5-10 mm and that of the petal is 13-20 mm. Oxalis oregana 001.jpg
Flowers occur singly; the sepal length is 510 mm and that of the petal is 1320 mm.

Oxalis oregana is a short, herbaceous perennial with erect flowering stems 5–15 cm tall. The three leaflets are heart-shaped, 1–4.5 cm long with purplish undersides, on 5–20 cm stalks. The inflorescence is 2.4–4 cm in diameter, white to pink with five petals and sepals. The hairy five-chambered seed capsules are egg-shaped, 7–9 mm long; seeds are almond-shaped. [3] It spreads by a scaly rhizome varying the size of patches. They can be seen throughout moist forest under-canopies. [4]

Rapid light response

Patch of Oxalis oregana. Size can vary depending on rhizome development. Redwood Sorrel (Oxalis oregana) - Flickr - brewbooks (1).jpg
Patch of Oxalis oregana. Size can vary depending on rhizome development.

Oxalis oregana photosynthesizes at relatively low levels of ambient sunlight (1/200th of full sunlight). When direct sunlight strikes the leaves they fold downwards; when shade returns, the leaves reopen. Taking only a few minutes, this movement is observable to the eye. [5] [6]

As food

The leaves of Oxalis oregana are eaten by the Cowlitz, Quileute and Quinault peoples. Like spinach, they contain mildly toxic oxalic acid, which is named after the genus. [7] They are safe to eat in small amounts for those with no oxalate-related conditions. [8]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Cornus nuttallii</i> Species of plant

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<i>Marah oreganus</i> Species of tree

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<i>Berberis nervosa</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Dicentra formosa</i> Species of flowering plants in the poppy family Papaveraceae

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

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<i>Lilium columbianum</i> Species of lily

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

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<i>Gaultheria ovatifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Gaultheria ovatifolia is a species of shrub in the heath family which is known by the common names western teaberry, Oregon spicy wintergreen, and slender wintergreen. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it grows in high mountain forests.

<i>Arnica cordifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Arnica cordifolia is a species of arnica in the sunflower family, known by the common name heartleaf arnica. It is native to western North America.

<i>Balsamorhiza sagittata</i> Species of flowering plant

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<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>Rosa pisocarpa</i> Species of flowering plant

Rosa pisocarpa is a species of rose known by the common name cluster rose or swamp rose. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to northern California, where it generally grows in moist habitats. It is a shrub sometimes forming a thicket, and growing up to 2.5 meters tall. The stems can be dark red or blackish and are often studded with straight, paired prickles at nodes. The leaves are each made up of several toothed oval leaflets, the terminal leaflet up to 4 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a cyme of up to 10 flowers with pink petals each up to 2 centimeters in length. The fruit is a rose hip about a centimeter wide. The hips are pear- or egg-shaped and borne in clusters, and are decorative in fall and early winter, when they are red or reddish-purple and contrast with yellow foliage. Fall foliage can be yellow or dark red.

<i>Micranthes oregana</i> Species of flowering plant

Micranthes oregana is a species of flowering plant known by the common name Oregon saxifrage. It is native to western North America, including the mountainous regions of the western United States. It can be found in moist habitat, such as marshes and other wetlands. It is a perennial herb growing from a thick, fleshy or woody caudex. It produces a basal rosette of linear to lance-shaped leaves each up to 25 centimeters long. The inflorescence arises on a stout peduncle which may exceed a meter in height. It is topped with one or more dense clusters of white-petaled flowers.

<i>Sidalcea oregana</i> Species of flowering plant

Sidalcea oregana is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common name Oregon checkerbloom.

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

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<i>Circaea alpina</i> Species of flowering plant in the willowherb family Onagraceae

Circaea alpina, commonly called alpine enchanter's nightshade or small enchanter's nightshade, is a 10–30 cm tall perennial herb found in cool forests of the Northern Hemisphere.

<i>Micranthes occidentalis</i> Species of flowering plant

Micranthes occidentalis, commonly known as western saxifrage, is a species of flowering plant native to North America.

Bolandra oregana is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family. It is commonly known as Oregon bolandra or northern false coolwort and is endemic to Idaho, Washington and Oregon. It is a perennial herb which grows up to 2 ft (0.61 m) tall. It is distributed along the Columbia River Gorge as well as the Snake River and its tributaries. It grows around moist, mossy rocks and riparian habitats.

References

  1. "WTU Herbarium Image Collection". Burke Museum. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  2. "Plants Profile for Oxalis oregana (redwood-sorrel)". plants.usda.gov. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  3. "Nyctinasty and Mimosa leaf movement". Science and Plants for Schools. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  4. "Burke Herbarium Image Collection". biology.burke.washington.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  5. "Oxalis oregana". Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  6. "12.1.1 Light interception and utilisation". Plants in Action. Archived from the original on 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  7. Pojar, Jim; Andy MacKinnon (2004). Plants Of The Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska. Lone Pine Publishing. ISBN   978-1-55105-530-5.
  8. Benoliel, Doug (2011). Northwest Foraging: The Classic Guide to Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest (Rev. and updated ed.). Seattle, WA: Skipstone. p. 175. ISBN   978-1-59485-366-1. OCLC   668195076.