Pictures of Flowers Oxalis Pictures and Oxalis Kind

By Pictures of flowers

on February 23, 2009

Pictures of Flowers Oxalis Pictures and Oxalis Kind

Oxalis is a genus of about 900 species of plants that grows almost throughout the world except in the Polar Regions. Greatest diversity of Oxalis species can be found in Brazil, Mexico and South Africa. Many of the species are known by common name wood sorrels, yellow-sorrels, or pink-sorrels depending upon the color of the flowers.

Oxalis plants are annual or perennials. Leaves are divided into 3-10 top-notched leaflets. Flower color varies from white to pink, red or yellow. Fruits are small capsules containing several seeds. Roots are often tuberous or succulent. Many of the species reproduce vegetatively by production of bulbils, which detach to produce new plants. The plants contain Oxalic acid, which may be toxic to many mammals. Edible tubers of some of the species are similar to potato. In Columbia and South America, the plants are cultivated for their edible tubers. Leaves of some species are used by the sailors as a source of Vitamin C to avoid Scurvy.