Practical
Plants

Oxalis enneaphylla

Scurvy Grass

a perennial member of the Oxalis genus in the family Oxalidaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Oxalis
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.07 m
Spread
0.1 m
Fertility
Self sterile, Lepidoptera
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Lepidoptera

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[6].

Edible uses

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

Leaves - raw or cooked[4][3]. Use in moderation, see notes at top of sheet. Flowers - raw or cooked[K]. Root[2]. No further details are given.

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
Southern S. America - Falklands and S. Chile.
Habitat
Coastal sands, open grassland, open scrub, screes and rock crevices[8].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind
Wind
Yes
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. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in late spring or early summer. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Cultivation

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

Easily grown in a well-drained humus rich sandy soil in a warm dry sunny position[1][5]. Requires a sheltered position[1]. A very ornamental plant, it does well in the rock garden[1]. The flowers have a delicious almond-like perfume[7].

References

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

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  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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

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

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

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  7. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

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  8. Moore. D. M. Flora of Tierra del Fuego. Anthony Nelson. 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-904614-05-0

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