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Oxalis drummondii (Drummond's wood-sorrel)
Marcus, Joseph A.

Oxalis drummondii

Oxalis drummondii A. Gray

Drummond's Wood-sorrel, Large-leaf Wood-sorrel, Drummond's Woodsorrel

Oxalidaceae (Wood-Sorrel Family)

Synonym(s): Oxalis amplifolia

USDA Symbol: OXDR

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

This plant's leaves grow from the base of the plant, with 3 leaflets about 1 inch long, notched slightly at the center of the outer edge. The leaves are cloverlike, about 2 inches across, green above and below. They fold downward, umbrella-like, at dusk or in cloudy weather. Flowers grow in clusters on leafless stems that grow from the base of the plant. Only 1 or 2 bloom at a time. They have a shallow funnel shape, ending in 5 lavender-pink to purple petals.

The species name of this plant is named for Thomas Drummond, (ca. 1790-1835), naturalist, born in Scotland, around 1790. In 1830 he made a trip to America to collect specimens from the western and southern United States. In March, 1833, he arrived at Velasco, Texas to begin his collecting work in that area. He spent twenty-one months working the area between Galveston Island and the Edwards Plateau, especially along the Brazos, Colorado, and Guadalupe rivers. His collections were the first made in Texas that were extensively distributed among the museums and scientific institutions of the world. He collected 750 species of plants and 150 specimens of birds. Drummond had hoped to make a complete botanical survey of Texas, but he died in Havana, Cuba, in 1835, while making a collecting tour of that island.

 

From the Image Gallery

31 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 8 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink , Green , Purple
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov

Distribution

USA: AZ , NM , TX
Native Habitat: Found in open grassy areas, open woodlands, and brush-lands of either calcareous or sandy soils.

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
Conditions Comments: Forms small colonies and does not seem invasive like its yellow-flowered cousin Oxalis dillenii. Makes a fine addition to a short grass wildflower mix or edge of woods.

Benefit

Use Food: Add a few leaves, flowers, or green seedpods to a salad or soup as you would French Sorrel. The flavor is strong and sour, so add sparingly. Rich in vitamin C, it also contains high amounts of oxalic acid, similar to spinach, which when eaten in large amounts, may tie up calcium.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Nectar Source: yes
Deer Resistant: High

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Ground cover for trails in Northeast Texas
January 09, 2008
I have several acres of wooded land in Northeast Texas, Southern Lamar County. Both sandy and black land. I have created trails through the woods and would like to plant a native ground cover or gras...
view the full question and answer

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Patsy Glenn Refuge, c/o Wimberley Birding Society - Wimberley, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0557 Collected Oct 3, 1993 in Comal County by Mary Beth White
NPSOT 0037 Collected Oct. 2, 1990 in Bexar County by Judith C. Berry

2 specimen(s) available in the Digital Herbarium

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-1311 Collected 2009-11-15 in Burnet County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

1 collection(s) available in the Wildflower Center Seed Bank

Bibliography

Bibref 281 - Shinners & Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas (1999) Diggs, G. M.; B. L. Lipscomb; B. O'Kennon; W. F...
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 36 - Useful wild plants of Texas, the Southeastern and Southwestern United States, the Southern Plains, and Northern Mexico (Volume 1: Abronia-Arundo) (1995) S. Cheatham; M. C. Johnston; L. Marshall
Bibref 286 - Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Oxalis drummondii in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Oxalis drummondii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Oxalis drummondii

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-21
Research By: NPC

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