''Oxalis spiralis'', the spiral sorrel,
[ is a species of plant of the genus '']Oxalis
''Oxalis'' ( (American English) or (British English)) is a large genus of flowering plants in the wood-sorrel family Oxalidaceae, comprising over 550 species. The genus occurs throughout most of the world, except for the Polar region, polar are ...
'', a member of the wood sorrel family Oxalidaceae
The Oxalidaceae, or wood sorrel family, are a small family of five genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs and small trees, with the great majority of the 570 species in the genus ''Oxalis'' (wood sorrels). Members of this family typically have divid ...
.
Taxonomy
The following subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
are accepted:[
* ''Oxalis spiralis'' subsp. ''spiralis''
* ''Oxalis spiralis'' subsp. ''membranifolia'' (R.Knuth) Lourteig
* ''Oxalis spiralis'' subsp. ''trichophora'' Lourteig
* ''Oxalis spiralis'' subsp. ''vulcanicola'' (Donn.Sm.) Lourteig – volcanic sorrel,][ velvet oxalis][
]
Distribution
''Oxalis spiralis'' is native to Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
and western South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
.[
]
Cultivation
Spiral sorrel is cultivated for its ornamental value. Several cultivar
A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...
s of ''Oxalis spiralis'' subsp. ''vulcanicola'' are available, including:[
* ''O. spiralis'' subsp. ''vulcanicola'' 'Aureus' – bright yellow-green foliage
* ''O. spiralis'' subsp. ''vulcanicola'' 'Molten Lava' – bright yellow-green and copper-red foliage
* ''O. spiralis'' subsp. ''vulcanicola'' 'Zinfandel' – dark purple, nearly black foliage
* ''O. spiralis'' subsp. ''vulcanicola'' 'Plum Crazy' – dark purple foliage, randomly variegated
]
Gallery
File:Oxalis spiralis.JPG, Flower
File:Oxalis_spiralis_vulcanicola_2zz.jpg, Growth habit in a planter
File:Oxalis 'Zinfandel' (4545322589).jpg, 'Zinfandel'
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3887771
spiralis