Tropical Woodsorrel (Oxalis hirta)
Description
Oxalis hirta is a fall blooming South African species with grey-green trifoliolate leaves and mauve, magenta, or white flowers. It grows on flats and slopes in the north and southwest Cape. It is one of the largest of the Oxalis species in South Africa due to the stronly erect main stem (~1ft/30 cm) that appears from each bulb. The bulbs can get very large as well. The photos below shows the typical form of the species with magenta flowers. Photos 1-3 were taken by Mary Sue Ittner. Photo 3 shows the bulbs on a 1 cm square grid. Photos 4-6 were taken by Nhu Nguyen. Photo 4 from the UC Botanical Garden shows what this species probably looks like in habitat, attributable to the wonderful landscaping of the South African section at the Garden.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Oxalidales
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Family: Oxalidaceae
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Genus: Oxalis
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