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. South African species M-O are found on this wiki page.
Miscellaneous Oxalis – South African Oxalis A- F – South African Oxalis G-L – South African Oxalis P-Z - South American Oxalis – Oxalis index
Oxalis massoniana is a beautiful low growing Oxalis from South Africa with orange flowers that blooms in the fall. Photos by Bob Rutemoeller and Bill Dijk.
Oxalis melanosticta commonly grown under the name Oxalis purpurea 'Ken Aslet', is grown mainly for its velvety foliage but does produce yellow blooms. Some clones flower more than others, photo Lyn Edwards. This particular species grows on dry mountain slopes from the Bokkeveld Escarpment in the northwestern Cape to the Western Karoo and Montagu.
Oxalis meisneri is from the northwest Cape and has trifolioalate leaves and yellow or lilac flowers. It blooms fall to winter. Photo by Bill Dijk.
Oxalis namaquana bloomining in Namaqualand in a wet spot in a wet year. (August 2001). Leaves are in a rosette with 3 linear or oblong leaflets. Flowers are bright yellow with a short broad tube. Usually this plant is found in moist places. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner
Photos below are of bulbs from Johannes-Ulrich Urban he named Uli-54. His description of them as seen in habitat was "tiny leaves, yellow flowers, low in habitat forming an extremely low carpet of leaves very dense on the ground, growing mat like over rocks in only a thin layer of soil fairly close to running seasonal water. Very large bright yellow flowers. One of the best Oxalis seen blooming in the wild, near Leliefontein. This area has a relatively high altitude and I am sure it gets some frost. Bulbinella species and Kniphofia species growing there also." It has subsequently been identified as Oxalis namaquana and is growing and blooming well in Northern California. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner.
Oxalis obliquifolia is found from Ethiopica to South Africa. Plants are 1 flowered, rose, violet, or white with a yellow tube. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Oxalis obtusa is a long blooming winter growing Oxalis from South Africa with many bright colored pastel flowers. In the Little Karoo in South Africa in September 2003 a large patch was seen in bloom making the area look apricot-orange from a distance. From a distance they all looked the same color but up close there were many variations. Here are two. Photos by Bob Rutemoeller.
There were many variations in colors seen in populations photographed near Middelpos in the Roggeveld September 2006 by Mary Sue Ittner. Ones growing under shrubs where they had some protection seemed more vibrant.
Here are two color forms growing in Northern California, descendants of ones grown by Michael Vassar, photographs by Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller. The last photograph by Mary Sue Ittner shows four varieties blooming in a cold frame winter 2005.
The first two photos below were taken by Kristina Van Wert of flowers in the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens collection. The third photo was taken by Bill Dijk. The last photo was taken by Liz Waterman of a plant she grew from a Telos purchase.
Oxalis obtusa MV5005a was collected 10km n of Matjiesfontein and is a long blooming dependable variety in Northern California. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner.
Oxalis obtusa MV5051 photo by Kristina Van Wert (Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens) of a Michael Vassar accession of one described as having flowers that are light copper orange with veining and a yellow center that was collected at Vanrhynshoek.
Oxalis obtusa MV5516 photo by Kristina Van Wert (Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens) of a Michael Vassar accession of one collected 7.5km s of Nieuwodtville. This variety has light yellow flowers above the leaves.
Oxalis obtusa MV 6235 is a Michael Vassar accession found west of Sutherland with copper flowers with a greenish center and small leaves. It has been a good performer for me in Northern California blooming for a long time in spring. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner.
Oxalis obtusa MV 7087 is a Michael Vassar accession that is described as having large pink flowers with a yellow center. I'd call them more of a peachy pink. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner.
Miscellaneous Oxalis – South African Oxalis A- F – South African Oxalis G-L – South African Oxalis P-Z - South American Oxalis – Oxalis index
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