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]
| Oxalis oregana | |
|---|---|
| |
| Redwood sorrel | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Oxalidales |
| Family: | Oxalidaceae |
| Genus: | Oxalis |
| Species: | O. oregana
|
| Binomial name | |
| Oxalis oregana | |
Description
editOxalis 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
editOxalis 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]
Leaves as food
editThe 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]
References
edit- ^ "WTU Herbarium Image Collection". Burke Museum. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
- ^ "Plants Profile for Oxalis oregana (redwood-sorrel)". plants.usda.gov. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
- ^ "Nyctinasty and Mimosa leaf movement". Science and Plants for Schools. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
- ^ "Burke Herbarium Image Collection". biology.burke.washington.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
- ^ "Oxalis oregana". Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
- ^ "12.1.1 Light interception and utilisation". Plants in Action. Archived from the original on 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
External links
editMedia related to Oxalis oregana at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Oxalis oregana at Wikispecies