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- Oxalidaceae
- Oxalis
- Oxalis montana
Oxalis montana — northern wood sorrel
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Facts
Northern wood sorrel possesses two kinds of flowers, those that open conventionally and permit pollen capture and removal (chasmogamous); and those that remain closed, with special modifications to permit self-pollination (cleistogamous).
Habitat
Forests
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Flower petal color
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- white
- Leaf type
- the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets
- Leaf arrangement
- the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (basal)
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Fusion of sepals and petals
-
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube
- Stamen number
- 10
- Stem nodes swollen
- NA
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit length
- 3–4 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Anther attachment
- the anther is attached by its base to the filament
- Anther color
- the anthers show no hint of a pink, reddish or purplish tint
- Anther opening
- the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers
- Anther spurs
- the anthers do not have spurs on them
- Anther tube length
- 0 mm
- Calyx growth after flowering
- the calyx does not grow to cover or partially cover the fruit
- Calyx symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
- Cilia on petals
- the petal margins do not have cilia
- Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
- Corolla morphology
- the tube of the flower is curved upwards
- Corolla palate
- no
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx
- the flower does not have an epicalyx
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
- Filament surface
- the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales
- Flower description
- the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium
- Flower number
- 1
- Flower orientation
- the flower bends downwards or hangs downwards
- Flower petal color
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- white
- Flower reproductive parts
- the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Form of style
-
- the flower has two or more completely separate styles
- the style is knob-like at the tip, and unbranched
- Fringed petal edges
- the petals are not fringed
- Fused stamen clusters
- there are two clusters of fused stamens
- Fusion of sepals and petals
-
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube
- Hairs on inflorescence
- the axis of the inflorescence has hairs entirely without glands
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Hypanthium length
- 0 mm
- Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Interior flower disk
- the flower does not have an interior disc
- Length of peduncle
- 50–100 mm
- Marks on petals
- there are no noticeable marks on the petals
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of branches in umbel
- 0
- Number of carpels
- 5
- Number of pistils
- 1
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 5
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Perianth shape
- the perianth is campanulate (bell-shaped, with a tube about as long as wide, flaring at the mouth)
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal and sepal colors
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- white
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal base
- the petal narrows abruptly at the base
- Petal folding in bud
- the petals in bud are rolled like an umbrella, each petal having one edge tucked inside and the other edge exposed (convolute)
- Petal folds or pleats
- the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits
- Petal glandular dots or scales
- no
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal hairs on inner/upper surface
- there are no hairs on the inner/upper petal surface
- Petal length
- 8–15 mm
- Petal length relative to sepals
- the petals are longer than the sepals
- Petal nectaries
- the petals do not have nectaries
- Petal number
- 5
- Petal shape
- the petal outline is obovate (roughly egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Petal tip shape
- the petal tip is retuse (with a blunt or rounded apex and a notch at the center)
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Raceme attachment (Veronica)
- NA
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
- Scales inside corolla
- no
- Sepal and petal color
- the sepals are different from the petals
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals are green or brown, and leaf-like in texture
- Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
- Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
- Sepal auricles
- the sepals have no auricles
- Sepal cilia
- the sepals have cilia on their edges
- Sepal color
- green to brown
- Sepal features
- NA
- Sepal length
- 1.5–4 mm
- Sepal number
- 5
- Sepal orientation
- the sepals are pressed against the corolla, or jutting stiffly upward
- Sepal relative length
- NA
- Sepal shape
-
- the sepal outline is lanceolate (lance-shaped; narrow, gradually tapering from the base to the tip)
- the sepal outline is oblong (rectangular, but with rounded ends)
- Sepal texture
- the sepals are either very thin but flexible, like a membrane, or they are leaf-like in texture
- Sepal tip shape
- the sepal tip is acute (is sharply pointed)
- Sepal uniformity
- all the sepals are about the same size
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Spur length
- 0 mm
- Spur number
- NA
- Stamen appendages
- stamen appendages are absent
- Stamen attachment
-
- the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals
- the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals
- Stamen lengths differ
- the stamens are didynamous (two long stamens and two short ones)
- Stamen morphology
- the stamens within a cycle differ in length or width
- Stamen number
- 10
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Stamen relative length
- anything
- Stamens fused
-
- the stamens are attached to one another at or near their bases
- the stamens are not attached to one another
- Staminodes
- there are no staminodes on the flower
- Stigma position
- the stigmas are positioned at the tip of the style
- Style petal-like
- the styles are not petal-like
- Style relative length
- the stigma does not protrude beyond the mouth of the corolla
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene relative orientation
- NA
- Achene shape
- NA
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Achene type
- NA
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Capsule ribs
- the capsule has five prominent ribs or wings
- Capsule splitting
- the capsule splits by five main valves, teeth or pores
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit beak length
- 0 mm
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Fruit length
- 3–4 mm
- Fruit length relative to sepals
- the fruit is longer than its associated sepals
- Fruit length to width ratio
- 0.75–0.8
- Fruit locules
- five
- Fruit shape
- the fruit is ovoid (egg-shaped)
- Fruit stalk orientation
- the fruits point upward or spread or curve outward
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
- Fruit width
- 4–5 mm
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
- Mericarp length
- 0 mm
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Other markings on berry
- NA
- Ovary stipe
- the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe
- Ovary stipe length
- 0 mm
- Placenta arrangement
- the plant has axile placentation, in which the ovules are attached where the septa of a compound ovary are united, usually on the central axis, or to the septa themselves
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0
- Seed relative length
- the seed is longer than it is wide
- Seed surface
- the seed has parallel ridges on it (ribbed)
- Seeds comose
- no hairs
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- the fruit does not have wings on it
- prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
- Sap color
- the sap is clear
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Plants darken when dry
- no
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Floral bracts
- the flower has one or more bracts associated with it
- Hairs on leaf stalk
- the petiole has hairs on it
- Hairs on upper side of leaf
-
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs
- Hooked hairs on underside of leaf
- no
- Inflated hairs on leaf
- the leaf blade does not have inflated hairs on it
- Leaf arrangement
- the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (basal)
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade base symmetry
- the leaf blade base is symmetrical
- Leaf blade bloom
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf blade flatness
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
- Leaf blade hairs
- the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly
- Leaf blade length
- 10–27 mm
- Leaf blade primary vein pattern
- the secondary veins branch off at intervals from the primary vein
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is cordate (heart-shaped with backward-facing rounded lobes), or sagittate (arrow-shaped with backward-facing pointed lobes)
- the leaf blade is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is herbaceous (has a leafy texture)
- Leaf blade vein pattern
- the major veins of the leaf blade branch, but do not rejoin
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip (it may or may not have secondary veins)
- Leaf blade width
- 15–30 mm
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf hair orientation
- the hairs are standing up straight or curved in different directions
- Leaf sheath length
- 0 mm
- Leaf shiny
- the upper side of the leaf is dull or slightly shiny
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf stalk attachment to leaf
- the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade
- Leaf stalk base
- the petiole base is narrow where it attaches to the stem
- Leaf stalk length
- 50–100 mm
- Leaf teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf tip
- the tip of the leaf blade is retuse (blunt or rounded, with a notch at the tip)
- Leaf tufts in axils
- there are no clusters of smaller leaves growing out of axils
- Leaf type
- the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets
- Leaf types
- NA
- Leaf variation
- NA
- Leaflet number
- 3
- Leaflet petiolules
- the leaflets of the compound leaf lack petiolules
- Leaves per node
- the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (basal)
- Specific leaf type
- the leaf has lobes that radiate from the base, somewhat like a hand
- Stipels
- there are no stipels at the bases of the petiolules
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipule length
- At least 0 mm
- Teeth per side of leaf blade
- 0
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- forests
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of a smell
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Direction of stem hairs
- NA
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular
- Hair between stem nodes
- NA
- Hairs between stem nodes
- NA
- Hooked hairs on stem between nodes
- NA
- Leaves on stem
- the flowering stem has no leaves above the base
- Length of hairs between stem nodes
- 0 mm
- Plant height
- 8–15 cm
- Stem bloom
- NA
- Stem hair distribution
- NA
- Stem nodes swollen
- NA
- Stem orientation
- NA
- Stem roughness between nodes
- NA
- Stem spacing
- the plant is solitary, or a few plants are growing together
- Stem succulence
- NA
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
- Wings on stem
- NA
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
Native to North America?
Yes
Synonyms
- Oxalis acetosella, in the sense of Gleason & Cronquist (1991)
- Oxalis acetosella L. ssp. montana (Raf.) Hultén ex D. Löve
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
5. Oxalis montana Raf. N
northern wood sorrel. Oxalis acetosella, sensu Gleason & Cronquist (1991); Oxalis acetosella L. ssp. montana (Raf.) Hultén ex D. Löve • CT, MA, ME, NH, VT. North-temperate to boreal evergreen to mixed evergreen-deciduous forests, sometimes with extensive bryophyte ground cover, often associated Abies and Picea in northern New England and Tsuga in southern New England.