There are more than 200 species of Oxalis in South Africa and 270 varieties and probably many new species as well. The only handbook on the Southern African species, by Salter, is almost sixty years old and out of print so there are many challenges in identifying them. Cape Plants, a conspectus of the Cape flora of South Africa by Peter Goldblatt and John Manning lists 118 in the Cape Floral Kingdom but there is only a brief botanical description, location sometimes with habitat information, and time of bloom in this book. Bill Dijk has shared a botanical illustration by New Zealand artist Zoë Carter of a number of Oxalis. Because most of them are South African, I am including it on this page.
South African Oxalis species A-F are found on this wiki page.
South African Oxalis G-L – South African Oxalis M-O – South African Oxalis P-Z - Miscellaneous Oxalis - South American Oxalis – Oxalis index
Oxalis ambigua is described as having 3 hairy leaflets and white, yellow, or cream flowers with a yellow tube and blooming in winter. The species is found in rocky hills of Namaqualand and on the Gifberg in succulent Karoo biome. The photos below by Mary Sue Ittner are of two Michael Vassar collections. The first, Oxalis ambigua MV4967 was collected 19.2kms south of Calvinia. The collection data noted large copper salmon flowers held above the leaves. My plants rarely flower, but when they have, the flowers were white.
The second, Oxalis ambigua MV5532 was collected by Michael Vassar 123 km. south of Pofadder. It has ivory flowers with a yellow center and nice bright green leaves and blooms for me in the fall and does not seem happy with excessive winter rain.
Oxalis bowiei, is a fall blooming Oxalis from the Eastern Cape of South Africa with large pink flowers, photos by Bob Rutemoeller and Bill Dijk.
Oxalis callosa has trifoliolate leaves and rose-red flowers with a purple ring and a yellow tube. It is an especially beautiful South African species found on gravely soils from the Bokkeveld Mountains to the western Karoo. It blooms in the fall. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller.
Oxalis commutata MV5117, a plant collected by Michael Vassar at Vanrhynshoek, has lavendar flowers held above the tiny leaves. It blooms in the fall. Michael thought it to be this species. Oxalis commutata increases rapidly so might need to be watched for weed status. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner.
Oxalis compressa is found in the Northwest to Southwest Cape and has more than one flower in the peduncle (2-6), trifoliate leaves and compressed leaf stalks and is often confused with Oxalis pes-caprae. This photo by Mary Sue Ittner is of a plant collected by Johannes-Ulrich Urban outside Vanrhynsdorp in hard gravel. It forms a rosette of bright green leaves with reddish-brown stems and many bright yellow flowers blooming above the leaves in winter. This plant, Oxalis sp. Uli63 , is most likely Oxalis compressa.
Oxalis convexula is a winter spring bloomer with rosy-salmon flowers with a yellow throat. Leaflets are in threes, thick and fleshy. The flowers need warmth to open. The pictures below by Mary Sue Ittner December 2003 and January 2004 are taken on different days illustrating the leaves and open buds and on a second day the buds open even more. The third picture was taken after I brought it inside where it was warmer so the flowers would open.
Oxalis depressa has succulent trifoliolate leaves and white, lilac or pink flowers with a yellow tube. It is found in a broad range of the Cape Province to Zimbabwe and blooms in the fall.
Oxalis depressa MV4871 was collected 2km inland from mouth of Kleinie Braak River where it was growing in dry sand along the dunes and vleis. It has large white flowers and blooms for a long time for me in Northern California (starting in September to October and lasting often until December.) Photos by Mary Sue Ittner
Oxalis engleriana grows on shady southern slopes in the Northwest and Southwest Cape. It blooms in the fall and has 5-8 linear to linear-oblong leaflets and a rose or violet flower 3 to 4 cm with a narrow yellow tube. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner.
Oxalis fabaefolia has 2-5 leaflets, with a corolla which can be yellow, pale mauve or white, rarely with a purple eye at the throat. Plants sometimes called Oxalis namaquana are really O. fabaefolia. The leaflets of O. fabaefolia can be rather broad and have "wings", whereas the leaflets of O. namaquana tend to be narrow. Photos by Bill Dijk.
Oxalis flava is a South African species-complex found on sandy flats from Namaqualand southwards to the Cape Peninsula and eastwards to Riverdale. Salter has described it as a variable species with many different varieties. It has very interesting basal leaves that are jointed and have 2 to 12 narrow leaflets, often folded lengthwise. Flowers are solitary, yellow, white or pale rosy violet, often purple on the outer margin. This species is fall blooming.
This selection has yellow flowers. I grew it for several years without getting it to flower, but didn't mind since the leaves was so different. Once I started planting it in a deep pot I got it to flower. Photo by Bob Rutemoeller.
This color form bloomed on the surface of the soil just as it appeared followed a week or so later by the first sign of leaves. It is small, has light pink flowers and attractive leaves. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner.
This form was once known as Oxalis lupinifolia which is now considered a synonym for Oxalis flava. It has lupine like leaves and pink flowers and is very attractive and was obtained from Telos Rare Bulbs. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner.
The photos below were of a bulb given me by Johannes-Ulrich Urban. It has yellow flowers and blooms in the fall and the consensus is that is in the flava group. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner.
South African Oxalis G-L – South African Oxalis M-O – South African Oxalis P-Z - Miscellaneous Oxalis - South American Oxalis – Oxalis index
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