Oxalis debilis

Oxalis debilis
Pink woodsorrel
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Oxalidales
Family: Oxalidaceae
Genus: Oxalis
Species: O. debilis
Binomial name
Oxalis debilis
Kunth 1822[1]
Varieties

See text

Oxalis debilis, the large-flowered pink-sorrel[2] or pink woodsorrel,[1] is a perennial plant and herb in the Oxalidaceae family.[1] 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.[3]

The flowers, leaves and roots are edible, but this plant should only be consumed in small amounts because it contains oxalic acid that can cause calcium deficiency if eaten in larger amounts.[4] The leaves have a sour lemony flavor.

Description

It is a bulbous plant. The fruit is a capsule. The seeds are projected, with an elastic integument. In Europe the plants are sterile and are propagating only by bulbs.[5]

Research on the naturalizing populations in China show the presence of 2 flower morphs, pollen with low viability and polyploidy.[6]

Varieties and cultivation

There are two varieties:

'Aureoreticulata' ('aureo-reticulata') has attractive variegated leaves with flowers that are pinkish purple.[3] This cultivar is also named ‘Gold Veined Oxalis’ (Yellow Vein Oxalis) with attractive yellow vein foliage. The symptom is associated with the presence of a begomovirus. This virus, designated OxYVV, is transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci.[7]

The Royal Horticultural Society advices that it can be a serious weed.[8]

Pests and diseases

Puccinia oxalidis on leaves of Oxalis debilis var. corymbosa (Location: Maui, Makawao)

Puccinia oxalidis is a fungus species in the genus Puccinia. This species is a causal agent of rust on plants in the genus Oxalis.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Oxalis debilis". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  2. "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-02-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. 1 2 "Pacific Bulb Society - Miscellaneous Oxalis".
  4. "Oxalis debilis var. corymbosa - Pink Wood Sorrel, Pink Woodsorrel, Lilac Oxalis, Large-flowered Pink Sorrel - Hawaiian Plants and Tropical Flowers".
  5. "Oxalis debilis var. corymbosa".
  6. Luo, S.; Zhang, D; Renner, S. S. (2006). "Oxalis debilis in China: Distribution of Flower Morphs, Sterile Pollen and Polyploidy". Annals of Botany. 98 (2): 459–64. doi:10.1093/aob/mcl121. PMC 803464Freely accessible. PMID 16735406.
  7. Herrera, Favio; Aboughanem-Sabanadzovic, Nina; Valverde, Rodrigo A. (2015). "A begomovirus associated with yellow vein symptoms of Oxalis debilis". European Journal of Plant Pathology. 142: 203. doi:10.1007/s10658-015-0594-y.
  8. "Oxalis".

Data related to Oxalis debilis at Wikispecies


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