Oxalis corniculata

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Oxalis corniculata

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Description

Perennial herb, ascending to erect, rooting at the nodes; Leaves scattered, distant, or in small tufts. Stipules indistinct to small, sometimes conspicuous, up to 3 by 1 mm, rectangular. Inflorescence cymose to pseudo-umbellate, 1-5(-8)-flowered. Flowers usually MF, rarely LF. Sepals lanceolate, obtuse to rarely obliquely retuse with narrow pale margins, 2-6 by ½-2 mm, sparsely puberulous to sericeous, sometimes with septate hairs. Petals spathulate-oblong to -lanceolate, 3.5-10 by 1-7 mm, apex rounded to emarginate, after anthesis apically crumpled, yellow, with darker or lighter base. Ovary 1½-2 by ¾-1 mm, ellipsoid to cylindric, puberulous; Fruit 9-20(-24) by 2-4 mm, usually linear-cylindric, sometimes ellipsoid, pentagonal, acuminate, minutely puberulous, hairs reflexed or patent to ascending in upper half, mixed with patent, septate hairs; Seeds (0-)5-11 per cell, 1 by ¾ mm, flattened-ovoid;

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Borneo present; Malaya present; Sulawesi (Sulawesi present), Cosmopolitan present, Malacca present, Penang present, Perak present, Singapore Bot. Gardens present
Cosmopolitan, origin unknown, in Malesia several forms occur; throughout Malesia, three times collected in Celebes and Borneo and scarce in Malaya (Malacca, Perak, Penang; a common weed in Singapore Bot. Gardens).

Uses

Cf. . According to VINK (n. 16308) from Uinba, Nona-Minj Divide, Kubor Range, W. Highlands, New Guinea (20-8-1963) used 1) "In marrying ceremony the young woman takes fresh leaves and makes a gag of it with salt and cold water; the gag is chewed and the juice is spit on pigmeat, which is given to the new husband. 2) When the garden gives a bad production of sweet potato, the woman looking after the garden puts a bundle of the leaves in her girdle to get a higher production.".

Notes

A most complex and variable species. Many infraspecific taxa have been described, but all appear to be linked by intermediate forms. The following extremes can be recognized:
  • 'var. repens THUNB.' Small, decumbent plants. Leaflets rather dark, small, glabrous to moderately strigose. Inflorescences few-flowered, flowers small. Throughout Malesia, a form of exposed, sunny places.
  • 'var. atropurpurea PLANCH.' Plant brownish to purplish in vivo, dark green when dry; petals more or less flushed or blotched with reddish brown in vivo, fading to whitish or yellowish in drying. Cultivated and escaping.
  • 'var. sericea KNUTH' (= 'var. trichocaulon LÉVL.' according to HARA, 1954; no material of this seen). Large pubescent plant, foliose apices of stems erect or ascending; stipules minute, leaflets strongly pubescent, terminals large, longer than broad, incised for 1/9-1/5 of leaflength, floral parts relatively large; ovules and seeds 1-5 per cell; fruit oblong, stout, pubescence ascending at least in upper half. Eastern New Guinea and New Britain (Formosa? Japan? Korea?). Shaded river-banks, open places in forest, edges of paths and trails, grassfields.

Citation

Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 135
KNUTH 1940 – In: Fedde, Rep. 48: 3
MASAMUNE 1934: Fl. Geogr. Stud. Yakushima: 257
KNUTH 1911 – In: Notizbl. Berl.-Dahl.: 300
BACK. & BAKH.f. 1963 – In: Fl. Java: 246
WIEGAND 1925 – In: Rhodora: 113
LINNÉ 1963 – In: Am. Midl. Natur: 257
BACK. 1911: Schoolfl. Java: 170
Ridl. 1922 – In: Fl. Mal. Pen.: 330
THUNB. 1923 – In: En. Philip.: 323
Bl. 1825: Bijdr.: 243
F.-VILL. 1880: Novis. App.: 32
Merr. 1921: En. Born.: 311
B. L. ROBINSON 1906 – In: J. Bot.: 311
HARA 1954 – In: Enum. Sperm. Jap.: 8
KNUTH 1930 – In: Pfl. R.: 146
VELDK. 1970 – In: Fl. Thail.: 17
Zucc. 1830 – In: Abh. Ak. Wiss. Münch.: 230
Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 135
PLANCH. 1857 – In: Houtte, Fl. Serres 12: 205
EDGEW. & HOOK.f. 1874 – In: Fl. Br. Ind.: 436
EITEN 1955 – In: Taxon: 99
GUILLAUMIN 1911 – In: Fl. Gen. I.-C.: 610