Wood-sorrel

Wood-sorrel, common wood-sorrel or Komiyama Oxalis (Oxalis acetosella) is a subalpine perennial in the genus Oxalis of the family Oxalidaceae, found in the temperate to subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
In Japan, it grows wild on the forest floor of coniferous forests in the subalpine zone from Hokkaido to Kyushu.
The rhizome spreads along the ground, from which the stem and flower stalk emerge separately, reaching a height of 5–15 cm.
The leaf stalk and flower stalk are reddish-brown in color.
Each leaf stalk bears three heart-shaped leaflets at the tip of the petiole.
A single white, five-petaled flower blooms at the tip of the flower stalk.

Komiyama Oxalis (Small Deep Mountain Wood Sorrel),
Scientific name: Oxalis acetosella
English name: Wood-sorrel
Classification: Kingdom Plantae, Angiosperms, Eudicots, Order Oxalidales, Family Oxalidaceae, Genus Oxalis, Species Oxalis acetosella,
Distribution: Temperate to subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere; Habitat in Japan: Hokkaido to Kyushu; Habitat: Understory of subalpine coniferous forests,
Life form: Subalpine perennial,
Plant height: 5–15 cm, Rhizome: Creeping,
Stem color: Both leaf stems and flower stems are reddish-brown,
Petiole: Reddish-brown, Leaf shape: Trifoliate (clover-like), Leaflet shape: heart-shaped with a line running down the center of the leaf,
Flowering period: May–July, Flower stalk color: reddish-brown, Flower arrangement: a single flower at the tip of the flower stalk, Flower color: white with reddish-purple streaks and a yellow or pink base, Flower diameter: 1.5 cm
Characteristics: In the evening, on cloudy days, or when it rains, the leaves and flowers close in a movement known as nyctinasty; tastes sour when chewed (oxalic acid),
Note: Miyama Katabami, clover, and horse chestnut have leaves divided into three parts, so they are considered “shamrocks.”
　　　They were used to symbolize the Christian “Trinity.”

Related Pages
Komiyama Katabami (Small Deep Mountain Wood Sorrel, scientific name: Oxalis acetosella)