Oxalis triangularis? papilionaceae?

Leo A. Martin leo@possi.org
Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:13:10 PDT
Thanks to Roy who replied here and those who replied privately.

> Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:00:34 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Ron Vanderhoff <rvanderhoff@sbcglobal.net>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] Oxalis triangularis? papilionaceae?

[snip]

> Oxalis are a very confused genus taxonomically and many plants labelled
> as O. triangularis are probably not. Some?are more likely the closely
> related Oxalis regnellii, which also has green and red leaf forms,
> sometimes even with two color shades on the same leaf. These are both
> soft, acaulescent, leafy plants, with very large (for an Oxalis)
> trifoliate leaflets. They form fleshy pseudobulbs.

My plants have thin rhizomes, about 2 millimeters diameter, ridged with
old leaf bases/scars. I wouldn't call them pseudobulbs at all.

> O. triangularis is native to Brazil and possibly Argentina at rather low
> elevations, with year-round moisture and in organic soils. They are a
> challenge in my dry Mediterranean climate, going into stress and often
> dormancy with sustained temperatures above 80F, esp. with my
> low?humidity. Triangularis is?reportedly rather cold hardy, surviving
> in?dormancy through winters?at temps?below freezing.

That seems like my experience. The one outside under the hose made it
through the January 2007 freeze fine.


Leo Martin
Phoenix Arizona USA


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