Oxalis caprina or Oxalis incarnata?

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Fri, 30 May 2003 19:05:48 PDT
Dear Claude,

This was my mystery plant. I called it Oxalis sp. on the wiki and just 
wrote that Diana thought it could be O. caprina.  She was only speculating. 
Mine has started to dry up, but that may just be because I have stopped 
watering it. It is the longest blooming Oxalis I have. (October to April). 
Maybe I could keep it going longer had I kept watering it. Mine have liked 
shade better than sun too and they do fine with a summer dormancy. My tag 
says BX ? but I am wondering if my friend Jana gave them to me from some 
she got from the BX. Mine have what I thought at first was seed in the leaf 
axils, but then decided was bulbs even though they look different from 
the  bulbs in the pot. I conclude that my plant is the same as yours.

Cape Plants lists an Oxalis incarnata and it seems to be native to both 
summer and winter rainfall areas, has white or pale lilac flowers with a 
greenish tube. Not much from the description to nail it for me. The book 
says bloom from January to April so mine is blooming at the same time in 
this hemisphere as this plant does in South Africa if that is what it is. 
I'll be happy to correct the wiki picture and add this other possible name 
as well.

Mary Sue



At 04:01 PM 5/30/03 -0700, you wrote:
>There is a new oxalis forum. A question was asked about oxalis caprina.
>
>I informed the person of the posting on our PBS site and provided a link.
>
>The photos look very much like  a specimen I received several years ago 
>from the UK without a name.
>
>His response is a follows:
>
>Claude, the plant in your photo looks a lot like Oxalis incarnata, a
>South African species which is frequently found in old gardens
>here in England, it spreads quickly by means of bulbils produced
>in the leaf axils.
>
>Aaron
>
>When I checked my plant, I found small bulbils in the axils of the stem 
>where the flowers originate.
>
>The plant also produces many small bulbs too. It is evergreen in my mild 
>climate. It does best in the cooler winter months, but if I move it into 
>the shade for the summer it continue to grow and flower making a  very 
>nice hanging basket.
>
>Comments or suggestions anyone?
>
>Claude Sweet
>San Diego, CA
>USA
>
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