Species
Oxalis exilis
Etymology
Oxalis: From the Greek word oxus meaning acid or sharp
exilis: thin
Common Name(s)
creeping oxalis, yellow oxalis
Current Conservation Status
2012 - Not Threatened
Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB
Previous Conservation Status
2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened
Authority
Oxalis exilis A.Cunn.
Family
Oxalidaceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Native
OXAEXI
The
National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
Structural Class
Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites
Synonyms
Oxalis corniculata var. microphylla Hook.f.; ?Oxalis corniculata var. ciliifera (Cunn.) Hook.f.
Distribution
Indigenous. Australia, New Zealand and probably the western Pacific. Naturalised in parts of Europe and the United Kingdom. In New Zealand present on the Three Kings, North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands.
Habitat
Coastal to subalpine (up to 1100 m a.s.l.). However, mostly in lowland areas. Common in urban areas and in disturbed or successional indigenous habitats. Rarely in dense forest (though often colonising tracksides) and tussock grassland.
Features
Perennial herb without bulbils; taproot absent or weakly developed. Stems creeping or ascending up to 380 mm long, very sparsely antrorse-hairy. Leaves all cauline, tufted, 3-foliolate; leaflets sessile, 2.5-6.0 x 3.0-6.0 mm, mostly bright green, cuneate-obcordate, bilobed, glabrous above, pubescent below, margins ciliate, sinus cut to 1/3 leaflet length, lobes obovate, divergent, apices obtuse, 2-3 mm apart; petioles 10-90 mm long, with antrorse hairs; stipules to 2 mm long, conspicuous, with apex lobed or truncate, or inconspicuous with apex tapering abruptly to petiole, more or less ciliate. Inflorescences axillary, 1-2-flowered; peduncles at least as long as leaves, antrorse-hairy; pedicels erect, sometimes deflexed in fruit. Sepals oblong, 1.5-3.0 mm long, ciliate or glabrous; petals yellow, 4.5-9.0 mm long. Capsule 5.0-10.0 mm long, conical to cylindric, usually moderately retrorse-hairy, often with scattered septate hairs; seeds 1.0-1.4 mm long, strongly transversely ribbed.
Similar Taxa
Rather variable but recognised by the widely creeping habit and lack of bulbils and obvious taproot; inconspicuous to conspicuous, lobed, truncate or tapering abruptly stipules up to 2 mm long; sparsely antrorse hairy stems; short and broad fruits (5.0-11 x 2-3 mm) with tapering apices that are clad in mostly simple (sometimes septate) hairs; and by the 1.0-1.4 mm long seeds which are strongly transversely ridged.
Flowering
Throughout the year
Flower Colours
Yellow
Fruiting
Throughout the year
Propagation Technique
Easily grown and weedy. This species is usually present in gardens and it is often the dominant or sole oxalis present in lawns. It is unlikely that people would want to cultivate it.
Threats
Not Threatened
Endemic Taxon
No
Endemic Genus
No
Endemic Family
No
This page last updated on 12 Nov 2014