Practical
Plants

Oxalis corniculata

Yellow Sorrel

an annual or perennial member of the Oxalis genus in the family Oxalidaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Oxalis
Life cycle
annual, perennial
Height
0.05 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Insects, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects, Self

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves contain oxalic acid, which gives them their sharp flavour. Perfectly all right in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since oxalic acid can bind up the body's supply of calcium leading to nutritional deficiency. The quantity of oxalic acid will be reduced if the leaves are cooked. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[13].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves - raw or cooked[10][17][19][2]. Added to salads, cooked as a potherb with other milder flavoured greens or used to give a sour flavour to other foods[9]. The leaves are available all year round unless the winter is very cold, they have a pleasantly sour taste[3], but are very small and fiddly to harvest[K]. The leaves contain about 86% water, 2.3% protein, 0.8% fat, 8.2% carbohydrate, 150mg calcium, 78mg phosphorus, 8mg iron, 0.6mg niacin, 78mg vitamin C, 6050µg beta carotene[7]. The leaves contain between 7 - 12% oxalate[12]. Use in moderation, see notes at top of sheet, Flowers - raw. A nice acid flavour and a pleasant addition to the salad bowl[K].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The whole plant is anthelmintic, antiphlogistic, astringent, depurative, diuretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, lithontripic, stomachic and styptic[4][8][12][14]. It is used in the treatment of influenza, fever, urinary tract infections, enteritis, diarrhoea, traumatic injuries, sprains and poisonous snake bites[4]. The juice of the plant, mixed with butter, is applied to muscular swellings, boils and pimples[16]. An infusion can be used as a wash to rid children of hookworms[15]. The plant is a good source of vitamin C and is used as an antiscorbutic in the treatment of scurvy[14]. The leaves are used as an antidote to poisoning by the seeds of Datura spp, arsenic and mercury[12]. The leaf juice is applied to insect bites, burns and skin eruptions[12]. It has an antibacterial activity[12].

Product or use
Anthelmintic
Product or use
Antiphlogistic
Product or use
Antiscorbutic
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Depurative
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Emmenagogue
Product or use
Febrifuge
Product or use
Lithontripic
Product or use
Stomachic
Product or use
Styptic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A slimy substance collects in the mouth when the leaves are chewed, this is used by magicians to protect the mouth when they eat glass[3]. Yellow, orange and red to brown dyes are obtained from the flowers[5]. The boiled whole plant yields a yellow dye[15].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Gum

Environment

Range
Original habitat is obscure, it is naturalized in Britain.
Habitat
Arable land and waste places, it is a common garden weed[20][6] where it tends to become especially troublesome in pots of plants growing in greenhouses etc[11].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as ripe in a cold frame. This plant does not need any encouragement.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A very easily grown plant, succeeding in a sandy soil in a warm dry position[1]. It prefers dry open habitats[18]. Spreading rapidly by seed and underground bulbils, this species can quickly become a nuisance, it is a common weed of pot plants in nurseries[11].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

  3. Chakravarty. H. L. The Plant Wealth of Iraq.

    ↩1↩2

  4. ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X

    ↩1↩2

  5. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

    ↩

  6. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

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  7. Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-340-508302

    ↩

  8. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

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  9. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

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  10. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  11. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  12. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  13. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩

  14. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  15. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

  16. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩

  17. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  18. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

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  19. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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  20. Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-600-37216-2

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