This beautiful little Oxalis belongs to a small group of about eight species which are characterised by having the leaves digitately 5-to 19-foliate, and in some respects these species are more showy than many of the others.
The genus as a whole is essentially characteristic of the south-western portion of the Cape Province, but scattered species are found in various parts of the Union. Species of Oxalis are also abundant in South America, where some of them form tall shrubs.
Heterostylism, i. e. the different relative lengths of the stamens and styles, is found in the genus. In some flowers the styles exceed the stamens, while in others the stamens are longer than the styles. This arrangement of the sexual organs ensures that cross-pollination will take place.
Our plate was prepared from specimens grown at the Division of Botany, Pretoria, from corms presented by Dr. C. L. Leipoldt, who collected them at Pakhuis in the Clanwilliam Division. According to Dr. Leipoldt the corms are edible.
Description:—Internodes very short, so that the leaves appear more or less in a rosette. Leaves digitately 3-to 6-foliate; petioles 3 to 9 cm. long, 4 to 5 mm. broad, flattened glabrous; the shorter petioles very distinctly winged; the longer petioles not so evidently winged; leaflets up to 3·5 cm. long, 1·8 cm. broad, obovate, cuneate, rounded at the apex, glabrous, punctate beneath. Pedicels 1 to 6 cm. long, terete, glabrous. Bracts 2, 4 mm. long, linear. Sepals 6 mm. long, 2 mm. broad, oblong, obtuse, with membranous margins,[{136}] glabrous. Corolla-tube 7 mm. long, 5 mm. in diameter above, campanulate; lobes 1·5 cm. long, 1 cm. broad, obovate. Stamens unequal; longer stamens 6·5 mm. long, subterete, pubescent, with an appendage on the back; shorter stamens 3·5 mm. long, similar to the longer, but without the appendage; anthers oblong. Ovary 1·5 mm. long, 1 mm. in diameter, ellipsoid, glabrous; styles 1 mm. long; stigmas penicillate.
Plate 153.—Fig. 1, median longitudinal section of flower; Fig. 2, calyx; Fig. 3, androecium; Fig. 4, pistil of long-styled flower; Fig. 5. pistil of short-styled flower.
F.P.S.A., 1924.