Scientific Name:
Oxalis triangularis
Pronunciation:
OCKS-uh-liss try-an-gew-LAIR-iss
Common Name:
false shamrock
Family Name:
Oxalidaceae
Plant Type:
Flowering pot plant
Key ID Features:
Leaves trifoliate, leaflets triangular-shaped, most 2-4.5cm long x 3-6cm wide (dark red and purple cvs. are common).
Habit:
Spreading
Form:
Mounded
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.1 - 0.2m
Mature Spread:
0.1 - 0.3m
Origin:
South America
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 8a: (-12 to -9.5 °C)
Exposure:
Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade, Deep shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Indoor plant
Additional Info:
Google. Some images are of O. 'Atropurpurea'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound
Arrangement:
Basal
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Compound Leaf:
Trifoliate (ternate)
Colour in Summer:
Green, Purple
Shapes:
Deltoid
Apices:
Emarginate or retuse
Bases:
Acute
Margins:
Entire
Additional Info:
Leaflets hang down at night (circadian rhythm)
Inflorescence Type:
Umbel
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White (pale pink to white)
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun, Jul, Aug
Additional Info:
Sold as a holiday plant for St. Patrick's Day.
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep
Bark or Stem Colour:
Additional Info:
No above-ground stem
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Propagation:
Seed, Division - below ground parts
Optimal Temp.:
Medium
Light Level:
Medium
Maintenance:
Medium
Pest Susceptibility:
Mites, Root rot
