Bulbous and Tuberous Rooted Plants
A division of the Camden Park catalogues that is not clearly defined. Some of the more important families of the Hortus are included here, Amaryllidaceae, Iridaceae and Liliaceae. It also contains a wide assortment of other plants with a modified stem or root that acts as a storage organ. Such plants are usually deciduous and have a distinct dormancy period. Shrubs and trees are not included, but there is some overlap with herbaceous plants.
Oxalis bowiei Herb. ex Lindl.
Frost-hardy clump-forming, bulbous perennial with large, long-stalked leaves composed of 3 rounded, shallowly-notched leaflets, rather thick and leathery, hairy and often purplish beneath, and loose, umbel-like cymes of 3-12, funnel-shaped, deep rose-pink flowers with yellow-green tubes. To 25cm. Late summer and autumn flowering in Australia. [RHSE, Hortus, Beadle].
Oxalis brasiliensis Lodd.
Frost-hardy, short-growing, bulbous species with leaves composed of 3, rounded and centrally-notched leaflets, somewhat purplish beneath, and magenta to rose-coloured flowers with darker throat and veins, to 2.5cm across, carried on scapes, to 15cm, each bearing up to 4 flowers. [RHSD, Hortus].
Oxalis crispa Jacq.
Oxalis crispa has wavy-margined leaves composed of 2, roundish, notched leaflets and large white flowers with reddish edges in the autumn. To 9cm. [Don].
Oxalis debilis Kunth var. corymbosa (D.C.) Lourt.
Half-hardy bulbous perennial with leaves composed of 3 leaflets, to 4.5cm long, rounded sometimes with dark spots beneath and purplish when young, and irregularly branched cymes of up to 15, red to purple flowers, to 1.5cm across, with darker veins, in spring and summer. To 40cm. [RHSD, Hortus].
Oxalis deppei Schlecht. ex Hemsl.
See Oxalis tetraphylla Cav. for more detail. Oxalis deppei and O. tetraphylla, generally regarded as synonymous are sometimes treated as separate, but very similar species from Mexico. For convenience they are treated separately here. [RHSD, Hortus].
Oxalis elegans H.B. & K.
Frost-tender bulbous perennial with 3 roundish leaflets, green above purplish beneath and flowering stems bearing 2-6 purple flowers with a deeper coloured throat. [RHSD].
Oxalis flava L.
Very variable, half-hardy rhizomatous perennial with up to 12, narrow leaflets per leaf, up to 20cm long, and solitary, bright yellow, white or very pale rose-violet flowers, to 2.5cm across, with a yellow throat, borne slightly above the flowers in spring and summer. To 25cm. [RHSD].
Oxalis flava L. var. lupinifolia
See Oxalis flava L. for detail. O. flava is a very variable species, lupinifolia having up to 7 narrow leaflets, resembling a lupin leaf. [RHSD].
Oxalis hirta L.
Variable, frost-hardy bulbous perennial with crowded, narrow leaflets and solitary, open funnel-shaped, white, red-pink or purple flowers with yellow throats in autumn and winter. To 30cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Oxalis livida Jacq. var. livida Jacq.
No definitive description at present. Various internet sources illustrate a low growing species with 3-lobed leaves, the lobes rounded and indented at the apex, and bright yellow flowers, to 3cm across. However, the illustrations of Oxalis dentata in Jacquin’s Oxalis: Monographia Iconibus Illustrata (1794) and Oxalis lateriflora in Plantorum Rariorum Horti Caesarei Schoenbrunnensis (1797-1804) show a long-stemmed plant with similar leaves but flower spikes bearing up to 4 purplish-red flowers.
Oxalis mauritiana Lodd.
A bulbous perennial with trifoliate leaves and small pale red flowers, introduced to Britain in 1810. [Don, LBC no.1780/1831].
Oxalis obtusa Jacq.
Bulbous perennial which grows to about 15cm and bears copper-coloured flowers. ‘The leaves are cordate, shorter than the peduncle, which has two small linear bractes, about an inch below the flower. The outer edges of the segments are of a deeper colour, which gives the bud a very pleasing appearance. Several flowers are produced in succession from a single bulb, lasting a good while, but require sunshine and warmth to open them.’ [LBC no.824/1824].
Oxalis palustris St. Hil.
Frost-tender bulbous perennial with 3 leaflets, somewhat triangular, with rounded sides, somewhat like the wings of a butterfly, and umbels of many purple flowers. To 8cm. [Don, LBC no.1551/1831].
Oxalis pes-caprae L.
Frost-hardy perennial with erect to spreading and crowded, succulent leaves, consisting of 3, bilobed leaflets, usually covered with brown spots, and umbels of up to 20, drooping, bright yellow flowers, to 2.5cm across, in spring and summer. To 30cm. Mainly winter flowering and summer dormant in the Camden area. [RHSD, FNSW, Beadle].
Oxalis rosea Jacq.
Frost-tender to half-hardy erect-stemmed annual with leaves composed of 3 leaflets, to 1cm long, pale green, occasionally reddened beneath, and lax, bifurcating cymes of up to 3 pink flowers, to 1.5cm across, with darker veins and a white throat, rarely entirely white, in spring. To 20cm. [RHSD].
