Oxalis (Bermuda buttercup) Oxalis pes-caprae
Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Rosids
Order: Oxalidales
Family: Oxalidaceae
Genus: Oxalis
Species: O. pes-caprae
Binomial name: Oxalis pes-caprae
Syn : Oxalis cernua
Common names: Bermuda buttercup, African wood-sorrel, Bermuda sorrel, Buttercup oxalis, Cape sorrel, English weed, Goat's-foot, Sourgrass, Soursob and Soursop
Oxalis pes-caprae is a species of tristylous flowering plant in the wood sorrel family Oxalidaceae.
Its flower is actinomorphic, with a calyx composed of five free or slightly fused sepals, a sympetalous corolla composed of five fused petals, an apoandrous androecium composed of ten free stamens in two ranks, and a compound pistil. Like most African Oxalis species, it produces adventitious subterranean propagules. These take the form of true bulbs in botanical terms, which is unusual among dicotyledons. In fact, Oxalis pes-caprae produces small bulbs copiously, whereas most other African species produce fewer, larger bulbs. New world Oxalis, such as Oxalis corniculata, apparently does not generally produce bulbs.
It is an invasive species indigenous to South Africa, Oxalis pes-caprae, the "Bermuda buttercup", is a highly invasive species and noxious weed in many other parts of the world, including New Zealand. The plant has a reputation for being very difficult to eliminate once it has spread over an area of land. The weed propagates largely through its underground bulbs and this is one reason why it is so difficult to eradicate, as pulling up the stems leaves the bulbs behind. Soil in which the plant has grown is generally filled with small bulbs. Another reason is that the seeds are tiny, hard, and sticky when ejected from the follicle. If they stick to an animal or vehicle, they may be carried far without detection.
Previous page: Oxalis (Lilac) Oxalis incarnata
Next page: Oxalis (Creeping ) Oxalis exilis