Oxalis barrelieri

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Oxalis barrelieri

Description

Erect herb, stem up to 1.5 m, without bulbs or stolons. Leaves usually more or less opposite, pinnately 3-foliolate, exstipulate; Sepals 2-4 by ½-1¼ mm, ovate-lanceolate, acute, glabrous or with a few hairs, ecallose, 3-nerved. Petals 6-9 by 2-2½ mm, obovate-lanceolate, apex rounded, after anthesis rolling inwards, pink, lower half greenish with yellow spots, glabrous. Ovary 1 by 0.5 mm, glabrous; Fruit 5-10 by 3-5 mm, slightly ovoid, 5-angular, apex and base 5-lobed, glabrous; Seeds 3-4 per cell, 10.5 by 1 mm, ± flattened-ovoid;

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Jawa (Jawa present); Malaya present; Sumatera (Sumatera present), Banka present, Central Distr present, Papua present, tropical S. America present
Native of tropical S. America, cultivated and established in many places, the oldest collected specimen from Bogor dates from BOERLAGE, a. 1888; in Malesia: Sumatra, Banka, Malaya, Java, Papua (Central Distr.).

Uses

The leaves are eaten for their sour taste.

Notes

Although only the MF form is found in Malesia, fertile seed is formed; there is apparently no functional heterostyly.

Citation

PROGEL 1877 – In: Fl. Bras.: 505
KNUTH 1930 – In: Pfl. R.: 64
HENDERSON 1959: Mal. Wild Fl: 47: fig.
HEYNE 1927: Nutt. Pl.: 151
Ridl. 1922 – In: Fl. Mal. Pen.: 330
KNUTH 1930 – In: Pfl. R.: 65
BACKER & BAKH.f. 1963 – In: Fl. Java: 245