violet wood sorrel
(Oxalis violacea)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Use • Distribution • Taxonomy
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Description |
Violet wood sorrel is an 4″ to 6″ tall, erect, perennial forb rising from a scaly, underground bulb. There is no central stem. The leaves are all basal. They are on purplish, usually hairless, sometimes hairy, up to 4″ long leaf stalks. They are palmately divided into three leaflets. The leaflets are ¼″ to ¾″ long, ½″ to 1″ wide, and inversely heart-shaped with the attachment at the narrow end. The upper surface is grayish green or purplish green and hairless, sometimes with a band of purple spots. The lower surface is purple and hairless. The margins are untoothed. The leaflets open and spread outwards during the day. They fold closed along the midrib and droop downward at night. They also close under intense sunlight. They repel water, so that after a rain they look dry with water beads on the surface. The inflorescence is an umbrella-like cluster of 4 to 15 flowers held well above the leaves. They rise from the ground on 4″ to 8″ long, erect, leafless, hairless or hairy flower stalks. The flowers are ½″ to ¾″ wide and bell-shaped. There are 5 short sepals that are not visible from above. The sepals have orange tips. There are 5 petals fused at the base into a short tube, then separated into 5 long, spreading lobes. The petals are pink to violet with purple veins, white near the center, and green at the throat. There are 10 stamens, 5 long and 5 short, with yellow anthers. The flowers close at night and on overcast days. There is no floral scent. The fruit is a, egg-shaped capsule, up to ¼″ long, with numerous seeds. |
Height |
4″ to 6″ |
Flower Color |
Pink to violet with purple veins |
Similar Species |
Violet wood sorrel is the only sorrel with pink to violet petals in Minnesota. |
Habitat |
Dry. Woods, prairies. |
Ecology |
Flowering |
April to June |
Pests and Diseases |
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Use |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 5/24/2024 | ||
Nativity |
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Native |
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Occurrence |
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Common |
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Taxonomy |
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Kingdom |
Plantae (green algae and land plants) |
Subkingdom |
Viridiplantae (green plants) |
Infrakingdom |
Streptophyta (land plants and green algae) |
Superdivision |
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Division |
Tracheophyta (vascular plants) |
Subdivision |
Spermatophytina (seed plants) / Angiospermae (flowering plants) |
Class |
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Superorder |
Rosanae |
Order |
Oxalidales (woodsorrels, quandongs, and allies) |
Family |
Oxalidaceae (woodsorrel) |
Genus |
Oxalis (woodsorrels) |
Subgenus |
Oxalis (palmate-leaved wood sorrel) |
Section |
Ionoxalis (scaly-bulbed oxalis) |
Subordinate Taxa |
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Synonyms |
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Acetosella violacea Ionoxalis violacea Oxalis violacea f. albida Oxalis violacea var. trichophora |
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Common Names |
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purple woodsorrel violet wood sorrel violet wood-sorrel violet woodsorrel |
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Glossary
Palmate
Similar to a hand. Having more than three lobes or leaflets that radiate from a single point at the base of the leaf.
Rhizome
A horizontal, usually underground stem. It serves as a reproductive structure, producing roots below and shoots above at the nodes.
Sepal
An outer floral leaf, usually green but sometimes colored, at the base of a flower.
Visitor Photos |
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Dan W. Andree |
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I believe these are Violet Wood Sorrel... I seen these at the Twin Valley Prairie 6-8-23. … Interesting little violet like flower with kind of drooping heart shaped leaves. First time I ever seen one. |
On the second photo the black ant was first on the blossom and going around all over on it then went underneath etc... Maybe looking for aphids, but I don’t really know. | |
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
Oxalis violacea VIOLET WOOD SORREL |
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Other Videos |
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purple |
About
Published on May 2, 2014 This is about an hour and a half real time compressed to 50 seconds. Violet Wood-sorrel (oxalis violacea) Next time I will examine them a bit closer and cut out the non viable blooms. |
ムラサキカタバミ (紫片喰) / Violet wood-sorrel |
About
Published on Jun 19, 2013 カタバミ科カタバミ属 2013年6月7日 |
Visitor Sightings |
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| Dan W. Andree May 2024 |
Location: Norman Co. Mn. |
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| Dan W. Andree 6/8/2023 |
Location: Twin Valley Prairie SNA I seen these at the Twin Valley Prairie 6-8-23. On the second photo the black ant was first on the blossom and going around all over on it then went underneath etc... Maybe looking for aphids, but I don’t really know. Interesting little violet like flower with kind of drooping heart shaped leaves. First time I ever seen one. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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