Redwood sorrel
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| Oxalis oregana Nutt. |
Redwood sorrel (Oxalis oregana) is a species of the wood sorrel family, Oxalidaceae, native to moist Douglas-fir and Coast Redwood forests of western North America from southwestern British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California.[1][2]
It is a short herbaceous perennial plant with erect flowering stems 5-15 cm tall. The three leaflets are heart-shaped, 1-4.5 cm long 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]
Redwood sorrel photosynthesises at relatively low levels of ambient light (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.[4]
The leaves of Oxalis oregana were eaten by Native Americans, probably in small quantities, since they contain mildly toxic oxalic acid, whence the genus name.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Burke Museum — WTU Herbarium Image Collection
- ^ Plant Profile for Oxalis oregana — USDA Plant Database
- ^ SAPS — Science And Plants for Schools
- ^ E-Flora BC — Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia
- ^ Pojar, Jim and MacKinnon, Andy (2004) Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Alaska, Lone Pine Publishing. ISBN 1551050404
