biology

Oxalis corniculata

Oxalis corniculata is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Oxalis corniculata rather than just read about it. In short: Oxalis corniculata, the creeping woodsorrel, procumbent yellow sorrel or sleeping beauty, is a somewhat delicate-appearing, low-growing herbaceous plant in the family Oxalidaceae. Oxalis corniculata is a small creeping type of woodsorrel that tends to grow well in moist climates.

Key takeaways

Oxalis corniculata belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Oxalis corniculata to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Oxalis corniculata from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Oxalis corniculata, the creeping woodsorrel, procumbent yellow sorrel or sleeping beauty, is a somewhat delicate-appearing, low-growing herbaceous plant in the family Oxalidaceae. Oxalis corniculata is a small creeping type of woodsorrel that tends to grow well in moist climates. It resembles the common yellow woodsorrel, Oxalis stricta.

Description

It has a narrow, creeping stem that easily takes root at the nodes. Its trifoliate leaves are subdivided into three rounded leaflets, resembling a clover. Some varieties have green leaves, while others, such as Oxalis corniculata var. atropurpurea, have purple leaves. There are inconspicuous stipules at the base of each petiole. The small, yellow flowers have either round-edged or sharp-ended petals. The flowers close when the plant is not within direct sunlight, hence the name "sleeping beauty". Some specimens can have a single flower while others can have over 20.

The fruit is a narrow, cylindrical capsule, 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) long, and noteworthy for its explosive discharge of the contained seeds, 1 mm (0.04 in) long. Pollen is about 34 microns in diameter.

Taxonomy Oxalis corniculata was given its scientific name by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. It is classified in the genus Oxalis and within the family Oxalidaceae. It has no accepted varieties, but has many among its 96 synonyms.

Distribution This species probably comes from southeastern Asia. It was first described by Linnaeus in 1753 using specimens from Italy, and it seems to have been introduced to Italy from the east before 1500. It is now cosmopolitan in its distribution and is often regarded as a weed in gardens, agricultural fields, and lawns.

Chloroplast genome The chloroplast genome sequence is 152,189 bp in size, and contains 131 genes. It includes a pair of 25,387 bp inverted repeats that separate a large 83,427 bp single copy region. The genome suggests that this plant is closely related to O. drummondii.

Uses The leaves of this species are edible, and have a tangy taste like lemons. A drink can be made by infusing the leaves in hot water for about 10 minutes, sweetening, and then chilling. The entire plant is rich in vitamin C. Any woodsorrel is safe in low dosages, but if eaten in large quantities over a length of time can inhibit calcium absorption by the body. Indigenous peoples of Taiwan frequently grow this plant (known roughly as p-r-səʔ) as a cure for snakebites and scabies.

References

External links

Quattrofolium Jepson Manual Treatment Photo gallery

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Oxalis corniculata

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Oxalis corniculata claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Oxalis corniculata before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Oxalis corniculata ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Oxalis corniculata

In research: Oxalis corniculata appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Oxalis corniculata in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Oxalis corniculata is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus, Cosmopolitan species, Flora of Malta, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Oxalis corniculata outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Oxalis corniculata in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Oxalis corniculata means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Oxalis corniculata out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Oxalis corniculata in simple terms?

Why does Oxalis corniculata matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Oxalis corniculata?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Oxalis corniculata.