biology

Oxalis stricta

Oxalis stricta 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 stricta rather than just read about it. In short: Oxalis stricta, called the common yellow woodsorrel (or simply yellow woodsorrel), common yellow oxalis, or upright yellow-sorrel is a herbaceous plant. Habitat O. stricta is native to North America and East Asia and has been introduced elsewhere, especially in Europe.

Key takeaways

Oxalis stricta 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 stricta to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Oxalis stricta from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Oxalis stricta, called the common yellow woodsorrel (or simply yellow woodsorrel), common yellow oxalis, or upright yellow-sorrel is a herbaceous plant.

Habitat O. stricta is native to North America and East Asia and has been introduced elsewhere, especially in Europe. It was not documented in Michigan before the 1890s. It tends to grow in woodlands, meadows, and in disturbed areas as both a perennial and annual. and generally requires dry or moist, alkaline soils, preferring sandy and loamy dirt to grow in. It requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor grounds. Commonly considered a weed of gardens, fields, and lawns, it grows in full sun or shade.

Description Upright yellow woodsorrel is an annual or short-lived perennial plant that has short rhizomes, but never has bulbs. The alternate leaves of this plant are divided into three distinctively heart-shaped leaflets (a typical trait of other species of Oxalis) that can grow up to 2 cm (0.79 in) wide. These leaves curl up at night (exhibiting nyctinasty), and open in the day to perform photosynthesis. The flowers of the plant are hermaphroditic, blooming from July to October. The mature seed capsules open explosively when disturbed (a very similar trait to that of the mature seed capsules or fruits of plants found in the genus Impatiens) and can disperse seeds up to 4 m (13 ft) away. Erect when young, this plant later becomes decumbent as it lies down, and branches regularly. It is not to be confused with similar plants in the same genus which are also often referred to as "yellow woodsorrel".

Taxonomy Oxalis stricta was given its scientific name in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. It is classified in the genus Oxalis within the family Oxalidaceae. It has 82 synonyms including 29 species names.

Names Oxalis stricta is known by the common name common yellow woodsorrel, also spelled common yellow wood-sorrel and common yellow wood sorrel, but this name has also been applied to Oxalis dillenii. Additionally it is called yellow sheepsorrel, sheep shower, and stickwort. It is known as sour grass for the agreeably sour flavor of the leaves and unripe pods. Similarly, it is informally called sour clover, sauerkraut, and pickles, particularly by children. Other sour names include sour trefoil, wood sour, pickel plant, and lemon clover. For the shape of its seed capsule it is sometimes named sour bananas. In the early 1900s it was called lady's sorrel in the United States, however both Oxalis corniculata and Oxalis acetosella are also known as lady's sorrel. It was also known as upright yellow wood-sorrel, sheep sorrel, and sheep poison around the same time in the US.

Cultivation

Uses

Culinary

All parts of the plant are edible, with a distinct tangy flavor (common to all plants in the genus Oxalis). The leaves have a similar taste to lemons. Oxalis stricta is often eaten while hiking or camping. However, it should only be eaten in small quantities, since oxalic acid is an antinutrient and can inhibit the body's absorption of calcium. The sour flavor is eliminated when the plant is cooked.

The leaves and flowers of the plant are sometimes added to salads for decoration and flavoring. These can also be chewed raw (along with other parts of the plant, but not the root) as a thirst-quencher. The green pods are pleasant raw, having a juicy crisp texture and a tartness similar to rhubarb in flavor. The leaves can be used to make a flavored drink that is similar in taste to lemonade, and the whole plant can be brewed as herbal tea that has an aroma somewhat like that of cooked green beans. The juices of the plant have been extracted from its greens as a substitute for common vinegar.

Medicinal Oxalis stricta contains large amounts of vitamin C, and has been used to treat scurvy. A poultice of the plant has been used to treat swellings.

Practical An orange dye can be obtained by boiling the whole plant.

References

Citations

Sources Books

Web sources

External links

Oxalis stricta / Yellow Woodsorrel / Love Love Love - Survival Plants Memory Course at the Wayback Machine (archived March 31, 2016) United States Department of Agriculture: Profile For Oxalis Stricta

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Oxalis stricta

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Oxalis stricta 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 stricta 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 stricta 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 stricta

In research: Oxalis stricta 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 stricta 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 stricta is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus, Edible plants, Flora of Asia, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Oxalis stricta 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 stricta in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Oxalis stricta 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 stricta out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Oxalis stricta in simple terms?

Oxalis stricta, called the common yellow woodsorrel (or simply yellow woodsorrel), common yellow oxalis, or upright yellow-sorrel is a herbaceous plant. Habitat O. stricta is native to North America and East Asia and has been introduced elsewhere, especially in Europe.

Why does Oxalis stricta 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 stricta?

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 stricta.