Oxalis latifolia
Encyclopedia
Oxalis latifolia is a species of flowering plant in the woodsorrel family
known by the common names garden pink-sorrel and broadleaf woodsorrel. It is native to Mexico
and parts of Central and South America.
s and spreading via stolon
s. There is no stem. The leaves arise on long petioles
from ground level, each made up of three widely heart-shaped leaflets about 4.5 centimeters wide. The inflorescence
is an array of several flowers, each with five pink petals.
and a noxious weed and invasive species
, as it infests many types of agricultural crops.
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 garden pink-sorrel and broadleaf woodsorrel. It is native to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and parts of Central and South America.
Description
This is a perennial herb growing from a system of small bulbBulb
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 and spreading via stolon
Stolon
In biology, stolons are horizontal connections between organisms. They may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton; typically, animal stolons are external skeletons.-In botany:...
s. There is no stem. The leaves arise 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...
from ground level, each made up of three widely heart-shaped leaflets about 4.5 centimeters wide. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is an array of several flowers, each with five pink petals.
Invasive species
It is known on most other continents as an introduced speciesIntroduced 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...
and a noxious weed and invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
, as it infests many types of agricultural crops.