Oxalis
Mary Sue Ittner (Mon, 24 Nov 2003 16:49:27 PST)

Dear Robin,

If there has been a discussion about Oxalis karooica I have missed it. I
have looked through what I've saved and I can't find it, at least not on
the pbs list. Maybe it occurred somewhere else. Uli recently sent me
something labeled as that so I guess I need to change the name. I couldn't
find it in any of my books, but thought if Uli, Andrew, and Bill Dijk were
growing it perhaps it was just one of those in other parts of South Africa
that aren't in my books. I will change it to be a sp. however if that is
the general consensus. We will start having a lot of those. I probably
should move Lyn Edwards picture from the Mystery Bulb page as well since no
one ever figured it out.

I will change the Oxalis caprina too. Joyce Miller and I wrote Michael
Vassar to ask him if he had keyed out any of the plants he gave to IBS and
that is where I got the name. I still have the email Joyce sent to me from him:
Joyce,

Names for the numbers on your list are:

4674 Oxalis caprina
4719 O. convexula
4720 O. obtusa
4719D O. obtusa
4967 O. ambigua
4991 O. densa
5005A O. obtusa
5117 O. commutata?
5630A O. sp. still unidentified
5667 O. luteola
6235 O. obtusa
6316 O. obtusa
6396 O. polyphylla var. heptaphylla
7087 O. obtusa

I have found Oxalis tomentosa in Cape Plants so I can now write about it.
Except that book says it has white flowers like Bill's and hairy trifoliate
leaves and in his picture the leaves although wonderfully hairy don't look
trifoliate to me. I hope it won't need to be changed too, but guess we'd
want to know if it is wrong too. Sigh....

Keeping the Oxalis straight is a challenge. Thanks for your help.

Mary Sue