The Species of Oxalis Occurring 
in the Cape Peninsula with Key 
NOTE: The following remarks on Oxalis 
appeared in the Journal of the Botanical Soc- 
iety of South Africa and was written by 
Captain T. M. Salter. 
Out of cover 200 species of South African, 
Oxalis (Surings), 32 occur in the Cape Pen- 
insula, excluding the garden weed, O. lati- 
folia, with pinkish purple flowers, which is 
a native of Mexico. 
After the key, there follows an alphabet- 
ical list of the species with notes as regards 
the comparative frequency of their occurr- 
ence, the usual flowering season and localit- 
ies in which the more uncommon specieg 
may be found. Where changes in nomen- 
clature have been necessary, reference is 
made to the invalid, though perhaps more 
familiar names. 
Although the bulb is one of the most 
important characters in distinguishing and 
classifying the different species of Oxalis, 
our Peninsula forms can usually be determin- 
ed without it. Should these plants be collect- 
ed in other parts of South Africa, however, it 
is highly important to obtain bulbs, if they 
are to be identified. The areas richest in 
this genus are the Clanwilliam and Van 
Rhyn’s Dorp Divisions and Namaqualand 
and there are undoubtly many new species 
and varieties yet to be discovered. In the 
Cape Peninsula the most prolific area in 
variety of species is Lion’s Head and Signal 
Hill, during May and June. 
Plants with double flowers are sometimes 
found in the species compressa, glabra, hirta, 
luteola, pes caprae, Pocockiae and obtusa. 
It is possible that they occur in other local 
species. 
KEY 
1. Flower stalk with more than 1 fl. 2 
Flower stalk with only 1 flower. 8 
2. A creeping annual without a bulb; flow- 
er very small; yellow. corniculata. 
Not creeping; plants with a bulb a 
3. Flowers yellow. 4 
Flowers never yellow. 5 
4. Stalk of the leaf flattened. compressa. 
Stalk of the leaf not flattened. 
pes caprae. 
5. Flower stalk and calyx with gland-tipped 
hairs; plant usually with a stem. 6 
Fower stalk and calyx not as above; 
plant usually stemless. de 
6. Leaflets divided to about the middle. 
dentata. 
Leaflets divided well below the middle. 
stellata var. glandulosa. 
7. Leaflets widely bi-lobed with rounded 
lobes; flowers very pale mauve. caprina. 
Leaflets often 1” wide, with triangular 
lobes; fls pinkish purple. latifolia. 
8. Leaves simple, i. e. without separate 
leaflets. monophylla. 
Leaves with 3 or more leaflets. 9. 
9. Leaves with more than 3 leaflets. 10. 
Leaves with 3 leaflets. 125 
10. Flowers yellow; leaflets usually 5 to 9 
flava. 
Flowers white or pink. ite 
11. Leaflets 12 to 20; fils white. tomentosa. 
; Leaflets 5; fis pink. polyphylla var. 
pentaphylla. 
12. Stem developed above ground, often 
more or less leafy. ee 
Stemless. ils 
se 
152 
16. 
VE 
18. 
19: 
20. 
Bile 
2a: 
24. 
25; 
26. 
2. 
29; 
30. 
Bill 
32; 
Leaflets narrow, oblong or wedged- 
shaped, always longer than broad 14. 
Leaflets heart-shaped or divided to the 
middle or below. 235 
. Hairs all gland-tipped; petals with a red 
margin beneath. multicaulis. 
Hairs not gland-tipped (or in O. ver- 
sicolor, sometimes with gland-tipped 
hairs on the flower stalk and calyx), 15. 
Stem bare or with very few leaves; flower 
stalk arising from top of the stem. 16. 
Stems densely leafy, the lvs. almost stalk- 
less; fl stalk mostly arising below the 
top of the stem. 2s 
Flowers 42 in. or less in diam; stem very 
short; sepals with 2 calli at the tip; a 
very small species. pusilla. 
Flowers larger; stem usually at least an 
inch long. Le. 
Leaflets and sepals with distinct red or 
orange swellings (calli) at tip. 18. 
Leaflets and sepals without such calli or 
in O. glabra sometimes with minute 
calli. 20. 
Petals with reddish margins beneath, 19. 
Petals not as above. polyphylla. 
Leaflets without hairs on the upper face. 
vericolor. 
Leaflets hairy both above and beneath. 
argyrophylla, 
Fls_ slightly hairy outside; petals pale 
rose. falcatula. 
Flowers without hairs; petals usually red; 
bulb small. glabra. 
Lvs on the stems scattered; flowers 
usually red. glabra. 
Leaves closely clustered on stem. Bayh: 
. Petals white with red margin beneath. 
tenuifolia. 
Petals pale mauve or red, often with a 
buff-colored margin beneath. hirta. 
Leaflets divided to the middle or below; 
flowers pink. bifida. 
Leaflets widely heart-shaped. 24. 
A water plant; fils small, white. natans. 
Land plants. 25. 
Leaves almost  stalkless. hirta. 
Lvs with well developed stalks. 25. 
Stem branching; leaflets without hairs; 
fls very pale mauve or white incarnata. 
Stem not branching, usually short; leaf- 
lets hairy; fls white or rarely rose-red. 
lanata, 
Leaflets broadly heart-shaped. 28. 
Leaflets roundish or in O. minuta, oval 
or oblong-wedge-shaped. 29. 
28. Hairs on the flower and leaf-stalks re- 
versed; fls brick red or rarely yellow. 
obtusa. 
Hairs not reversed; fils white. lanata. 
Anthers shaped like arrow-heads. 30. 
Anthers more or less egg-shaped., 33. 
Leaflets roundish, usually as broad or 
broader than long. Byles 
Leaflets oval or oblong-wedge-shaped. 
minuta. 
Hairs on the margins of the leaflets set 
closely, the leaflets often purple beneath. 
(Flowers from April) Eckloniana vy. 
Sonderi. 
Hairs on the margins of the leaflets | 
distinct on minute teeth, the leaflets 
green beneath; fls from June. 
Flowers white. nidulans. 
32.4 
355 
Fls 1osy purple. nidulans v. denticulata 
. Fls_ yellow. luteola. 
Flowers not yellow. 34. 
Tube of fl slightly swollen, not funnel- 
shaped; leaflets with very inconspicuous 
transparent streaks which turn black 
after drying; fls reddish purple, pink or 
white, rarely salmon. purpurea. 
Tube of fl and leaflets not as above. 35. 
Ww 
Ww 
re) 
& 
35. Plant covered with small gland-tipped 
hairs; fls white to pink, very small. 
punctata. 
Plant without gland-tipped hairs. 36. 
36. Extreme base of the leaf-stalk winged: 
flowers mauve. Sih 
Base of the leaf stalk without wings; fis 
with a widely funnel-shape tube. 38. 
37. Leaflets pale green above and beneath; 
bulb without wings. depressa. 
Leaflets dark green above, purple be- 
neath; bulb with 4 vertical wings. 
Pocockiae. 
38. Flowers pale rosy lilac the tube yellow. 
commutata. 
Flowers, including the tube, rosy purple; 
flower smaller. commutata v. concolor. 
Alphabetical List with some Notes on Species 
argyophylla Salter. Frequent in the north- 
ern parts; May-July. Formerly known ag 
O. falcata Sond. var. callosa. 
bifida Thunb. Common on partly shaded 
slopes; March-July, but sometimes Sept-Oct., 
when the plants become bushy. 
caprina L. Common, usually near culti- 
vation or as a weed. Only the form with 
short styles occurs in the Peninsula. 
commutata Sond. Frequent on flats and 
slopes; March-June. Variety concolor Salter 
generally grows at high altitudes except 
south of Smitswinkel. 
compressa L.f. Rrequent in the northern 
parts; June-Sept. 
corniculata’ L. A common cosmopolitan 
weed; flowers throughout the year. 
deniata Jacq. Common on slopes; March- 
May; often confused with O. livida Jacq. 
It is the only species in which the slug-like 
contractile root acts horizontally, dragging 
the newly formed bulb sidewise to a new 
position. 
depressa E. and Z. Local on sand dunes 
south of Retreat; May; formerly confused 
with O. convexula Jacq. 
Eckloniana Pres] var. Sonderi Salter. Com- 
mon. Apr.-Aug. Formerly erroneously known 
as O. purpurea Thunb., not of Linn. The 
typical form of O. Eckloniana, with sulphur 
yellow flowers-which used to occur on Green 
Point Common, seems to have been exterm- 
inated. 
falcu‘ula Salter. Local on Lion’s Mt; May- 
July. Formerly known by the invalid name 
O. falcata Sond. 
flava L. Local on Lion’s Mt. May-June. 
glabra Thunb. Common on flats and low 
slopes; May to August. 
hiria L. Common and very variable; April- 
Aug. A white form, without hairs, occurs 
near Retreat and a greyish hairy variety 
canescens (Jacq) Salter, with deep rose 
short-tubed flowers grows on the Saddle on 
Lion’s Mt. 
incarnata L. Common in the woods at Kir- 
sienbosch; August-December, and occasion- 
ally in March and April 
Janata L. f. Common on slopes; May-Oct. 
The variety rosea Salter, with rose-red flow- 
ers, is very local at and near Kirstenbosch; 
August- September. 
latifolia H. B. and K. A garden weed, int- 
roduced from Mexico; Feb.-April. 
(Cont. on Page 356.) 
