Creeping Woodsorrel (oxalis)
Oxalis corniculata
| Oxalis corniculata | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Oxalidales |
| Family: | Oxalidaceae |
| Genus: | Oxalis |
| Species: | O. corniculata |
| Binomial name | |
| Oxalis corniculata L. |
|
Oxalis corniculata, the creeping woodsorrel, also called Procumbent Yellow-sorrel or Sleeping Beauty, resembles the Common Yellow Woodsorrel (O. stricta). It is a somewhat delicate-appearing, low-growing, herbaceous plant in the family Oxalidaceae. It has a narrow, creeping stem that readily roots at the nodes. The trifoliate leaves are subdivided into three rounded leaflets and resemble a clover in shape. Some varieties have green leaves, while others, like Oxalis corniculata var. atropurpurea, have purple. The leaves have inconspicuous stipules at the base of each petioles.
The fruit is a narrow, cylindrical capsule, 1 to 2 cm long and noteworthy for its explosive discharge of the contained, 1 mm long seeds.
Distribution
This species is cosmopolitan in its distribution, and its place of origin is unknown. It is regarded as weed in gardens,agricultural fields, and lawns.
