Oxalis corniculata
Template:Short description Template:Speciesbox
Oxalis corniculata, the creeping woodsorrel, procumbent yellow sorrel<ref name=BSBI07>Template:BSBI 2007</ref> or sleeping beauty, is a somewhat delicate-appearing, low-growing herbaceous plant in the family Oxalidaceae.
Template:Em is a small creeping type of woodsorrel that tends to grow well in moist climates.<ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite journal</ref> It resembles the common yellow woodsorrel, Oxalis stricta.
Description
It has a narrow, creeping stem that easily takes root at the nodes. Its trifoliate leaves are subdivided into three rounded leaflets, resembling a clover. Some varieties have green leaves, while others, such as Oxalis corniculata var. atropurpurea, have purple leaves. There are inconspicuous stipules at the base of each petiole. The small, yellow flowers have either round-edged or sharp-ended petals. The flowers close when the plant is not within direct sunlight, hence the name "sleeping beauty". Some specimens can have a single flower while others can have over 20.
The fruit is a narrow, cylindrical capsule, Template:Cvt long, and noteworthy for its explosive discharge of the contained seeds, Template:Cvt long.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Pollen is about 34 microns in diameter.
Distribution
This species probably comes from southeastern Asia.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref> It was first described by Linnaeus in 1753<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> using specimens from Italy, and it seems to have been introduced to Italy from the east before 1500.<ref name=":0" /> It is now cosmopolitan in its distribution and is often regarded as a weed in gardens,<ref name=Hackney92>Hackney, P. 1992. Stewart & Corry's Flora of the North-east of Ireland. Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University of Belfast.</ref> agricultural fields, and lawns.<ref>UC Davis IPM</ref>
Chloroplast genome
The chloroplast genome sequence is 152,189 bp in size, and contains 131 genes. It includes a pair of 25,387 bp inverted repeats that separate a large 83,427 bp single copy region. The genome suggests that this plant is closely related to O. drummondii.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
Uses
The leaves of this species are edible, and have a tangy taste like lemons. A drink can be made by infusing the leaves in hot water for about 10 minutes, sweetening, and then chilling.<ref name=Peterson>Lee Allen Peterson, Edible Wild Plants, Houghton Mifflin Company, New York City (1977), p. 104.</ref> The entire plant is rich in vitamin C. Any woodsorrel is safe in low dosages, but if eaten in large quantities over a length of time can inhibit calcium absorption by the body.<ref name=Peterson/>
Indigenous peoples of Taiwan frequently grow this plant (known roughly as p-r-səʔ) as a cure for snakebites and scabies.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>