Oxalidaceae

Wood sorrel ( Oxalis acetosella ), illustration

The sorrel plants ( Oxalidaceae ) are a family of sorrel -like ( Oxalidales ). Oxalic acid was first detected in the sorrel and is included in all taxa of the family.

• 5.1 Notes and references

Description

Appearance and leaves

There are annuals mostly herbaceous plants, but there are also woody taxa: shrubs, trees ( Averrhoa ) and lianas ( Dapania ).

The basal or alternate or whorled distributed to the stem axis arranged leaves are divided into petiole and leaf blade. The leaf blades are usually composed ( fingered, ternate or pinnate ). In some taxa bedroom or stimulus movements are carried out and that the leaflets can be folded down. The leaf margin is always smooth. Stipules absent or small.

Inflorescences and flowers

The flowers are individually together in the leaf axils or in doldigen, zymösen or racemose inflorescences. The hermaphrodite flowers are radial symmetry and fünfzählig double perianth. The five sepals are free, or at most adherent at its base. The five petals are free or fused at the base more than anything, sometimes they are much nailed. There are two circles, each with five stamens present. In most species have the stamens of the two circles of different lengths, the stamens of the outer circle are usually shorter. The stamens can be fused at their base. It is often Heterostylie, mostly Tristylie ago. Five Upper constant carpels are usually fused into one, fünfkammerigen ovary in Biophytum they are more or less free. Each carpel contains a rare, usually two to some hanging, anatrope or hemianatrope ovules in most central angle constant at Biophytum in marginal placentation. The five most pen are free and each terminating in capitate or short -column scars.

Fruit and seeds

Are formed loculicidale fruit capsules with different opening mechanisms or rare berries. In species with capsule fruit seeds have at their base a fleshy thickening of the epidermis, which shrinks during drying and thereby wegschleudert flips the seeds. It is fleshy, often oily endosperm present.

Occurrence

Sour clover plants come around the world, except in very cold areas. Its distribution center of gravity lies in the tropics and subtropics.

They thrive in many habitats, from rain forests to deserts.

System

As a first publication of this family is under the name " Oxalideae " Robert Brown: Narrative of an Expedition to Explore the River Zaire, 1818, p 433 type genus Oxalis L. taxa is the former family Averrhoaceae Hutch. . today belong to the Oxalidaceae.

The sorrel plants ( Oxalidaceae ) family contains five genera with about 780 species:

• Averrhoa L.: Two species in tropical Asia: Cucumber Tree ( Averrhoa bilimbi L.)
• Star fruit, carambola or called ( Averrhoa carambola L.)

Use

From the Cucumber Tree ( Averrhoa bilimbi ) and the star fruit or carambola ( Averrhoa carambola ), the fruits are used. Oxalis tuberosa is cultivated to harvest with many varieties to their offspring tubers.

Some Oxalis species and their varieties are used as ornamental plants.

Swell

• The Oxalidaceae in APWebsite family. (Section Description and systematics)
• Leslie Watson: Western Australian Flora, 2008: Oxalidaceae - Online. ( Description section )
• Liu Quanru & Mark Watson: Oxalidaceae in the Flora of China, Volume 11, 2008, page 1: Online. (Section Description, distribution and systematics)
• Robert Hegnauer: chemotaxonomy of plants: an overview of the distribution and systematic significance of plant compounds, Volume 9, Birkhäuser, 1990 ISBN 978-3-7643-2299-1 Google Books online. . Oxalidaceae pp. 182-184. (Section ingredients and use)