Oxalis tetraphylla

Plant Characteristics

Habit		herbaceous
Lifespan:	⌛	perennial

Cultivation

Features:	✓	flowers, foliage

Scientific Names

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Oxalis tetraphylla (often still traded under its syn. O. deppei) is a bulbous plant from Mexico. A common name is "Iron Cross", after a famous cultivar; it is also known as "lucky clover", and in a wild or feral state as Four-leaf Sorrel or, least ambiguously, Four-leaved Pink-sorrel.

It has leaves divided into four and has been called "lucky leaf" and even "four-leaf clover", but it is not a true clover. Related to the Common Wood-sorrel (O. acetosella), it is commonly used as an ornamental plant. It is also edible, the flowers and leaves having a sharp lemon flavor. However, since the oxalic acid in the plant can interfere with the absorption of certain nutrients in the body, especially calcium, too much can be harmful.

If planted in early spring it will grow and flower throughout spring and summer. Some bulbs can survive a cold winter but in areas with frost they should be kept in a cool dry place over winter and replanted in the spring. The bulbs will multiply by autumn.

Read about Oxalis tetraphylla in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Oxalis tetraphylla, Cav. (lonoxalis tetraphylla, Rose). Lfts. mostly 4, 1 in. long, inversely deltoid, retuse, each crossed by a purple band: fls. rather few in simple umbels, lilac or rosy. Mex. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Gallery

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  Oxalis tetraphylla leaf

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Oxalis tetraphylla. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Oxalis tetraphylla QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)