Oxalidaceae
Oxalis

Oxalis debilis Kunth

First published in F.W.H.von Humboldt, A.J.A.Bonpland & C.S.Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. 5: 236 (1822)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central America to Guyana and Paraguay. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the subtropical biome. It is used as a poison and a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Descriptions

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 900–2660 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Norte de Santander, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Conservation
National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 900 - 2660 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
Preocupación Menor
[CPLC]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Conservation
Least concern.
Ecology
Alt. 900 - 2660 m.
Distribution
Native from Colombia.
[UPB]

Oxalidaceae, A. W. Exell. Flora Zambesiaca 2:1. 1963

Morphology General Habit
Acaulescent perennial herb, with subspherical bulb 20–25 mm. in diam. composed of numerous bulbils.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves trifoliolate; leaflets up to 4–5 cm. in diam., subcircular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers pink or purplish, in pseudumbels.
[FZ]

Oxalidaceae, Christine H. S. Kabuye  (East African Herbarium). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
Bulbous acaulescent perennial herb; bulb rounded, 15–25 mm. in diameter, made up of many bulbils up to 5 mm. in diameter borne on a central axis; bulb-base corm-like with many fibrous roots; scales oblong-lanceolate, brown, papery, thicker at the 3 mid-nerves, the inner scales thickened with a starchy substance.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate, on long petioles up to 25 cm. long; leaflets sessile, obcordate, bilobed, up to 4 cm. long and 4.5 cm. wide; lobes rounded, hairy beneath, ciliate, sometimes with orange dots near the margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers pink, purplish or blue, greenish in the throat in a pseudumbel or a bifid branching cyme on long hairy or glabrate peduncles usually longer than the petioles; bracts 2 at base of inflorescence and then 1 at the base of each branch, ovate, subacute, ciliate with 1 or 2 linear calli on the midrib; pedicels hairy, up to 3 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals oblong-lanceolate, 4.5–5 mm. long, subacute, hairy and each with 2 orange calli near the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals obovate, cuneate, ± 3 times as long as the sepals, rounded at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Long filaments hairy, 6–7 mm. long; short filaments almost glabrous, 2–3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Styles very hairy, about as long as the sepals, between the 2 stamen whorls in length, thus the flowers are mid-styled; stigmas laciniate, blackish in dry specimens.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule elongate; mature capsule not seen.
Habitat
In shaded parts of cultivated ground and waste places; 800–1980 m.
Distribution
T2 T3 native of tropical America, a long-standing weed of cultivation in the Old World tropics
[FTEA]

Oxalidaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Ecology
An ornamental plant, often cultivated, but naturalized around Aburi and Buea
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers pink.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits apparently not produced
Note
Reproduction by bulbils.
[FWTA]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
[UPFC]

Use Environmental
Environmental uses (State of the World's Plants 2016).
[UPB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0