| Oxalis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Oxalis pes-caprae | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Oxalidales |
| Family: | Oxalidaceae |
| Genus: | Oxalis L. |
| Species | |
|
About 550, see List of Oxalis species | |
Oxalis (/ˈɒksəlɪs/ (American English)[1] or /ɒksˈɑːlɪs/ (British English))[2] is a large genus of flowering plants in the wood-sorrel family, Oxalidaceae, comprising over 550 species.[3] The genus occurs throughout most of the world, except for the polar areas; species diversity is particularly rich in tropical Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa.
Many of the species are known as wood sorrels (sometimes written "woodsorrels" or "wood-sorrels") as they have an acidic taste reminiscent of the sorrel proper (Rumex acetosa), which is not closely related. Some species are called yellow sorrels or pink sorrels after the color of their flowers instead. Other species are colloquially known as false shamrocks, and some called sourgrasses. For the genus as a whole, the term oxalises is also used.
- ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
- ^ "Oxalis | Definition of Oxalis by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com also meaning of Oxalis". Lexico Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on 2021-06-12. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
- ^ Christenhusz, M. J. M.; Byng, J. W. (2016). "The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase". Phytotaxa. 261 (3): 201–217. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1. Archived from the original on 2016-07-29. Retrieved 2017-12-21.