Oxalis incarnata
Encyclopedia
Oxalis incarnata is a species of flowering plant in the woodsorrel family
known by the common names pale pink-sorrel and crimson woodsorrel. It is native to southern Africa, but it can be found on other continents where it is an introduced species
, often the descendent of garden escapees. It is grown and kept as an ornamental plant
. This is a perennial herb growing from a system of rhizome
s and bulb
s. The branching, hairless stem grows to nearly 30 centimeters in maximum length. There may be small bulb
lets located along the stem above ground. The leaves are borne on long petioles
in erect bunches, each leaf made up of three leaflets. The solitary flower arises on a peduncle
. Each flower has five white to light pink petals.
Oxalidaceae
The Oxalidaceae, or wood sorrel family, are a small family of eight genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs and small trees, with the great majority of the 900 species in the genus Oxalis...
known by the common names pale pink-sorrel and crimson woodsorrel. It is native to southern Africa, but it can be found on other continents where it is an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
, often the descendent of garden escapees. It is grown and kept as an ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
. This is a perennial herb growing from a system of rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s and bulb
Bulb
A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
s. The branching, hairless stem grows to nearly 30 centimeters in maximum length. There may be small bulb
Bulb
A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
lets located along the stem above ground. The leaves are borne on long petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
in erect bunches, each leaf made up of three leaflets. The solitary flower arises on a peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
. Each flower has five white to light pink petals.