Oxalis acetosella

Wood sorrel ( Oxalis acetosella )

Wood sorrel ( Oxalis acetosella ) is a species of the genus sorrel ( Oxalis ), belongs to the family of the sorrel family ( Oxalidaceae ).

It is the wood sorrel is a relict; most of the approximately 800 Oxalis species are widespread tropical or subtropical.

Characteristics and ecology

The wood sorrel is a perennial herbaceous plant that reaches the stature heights of 5 to 15 cm. It forms as Überdauerungsorgan an underground, short rhizome and a richly branched, fleshy taproot. The long -stalked foliage leaf consists of three parts, clover -like pinnate. The leaves are somewhat fleshy, green grass and taste sour. The three part leaves are obcordate.

It is formed a einblütiger stems. The long -stemmed, delicate appearing, five petals are radial symmetry with double perianth. The five sepals are green. The five petals have a white or pale pink color with a distinctly to be seen reddish -violet veining. At the base of the petals, a yellowish stain is visible. There are two circles, each with five white stamens present. On the elongated ovary are five pen. The wood sorrel flowers from April to June.

Are formed fünffächerige capsule fruits.

It is the schattenverträglichste local plant species that can still grow at a minimum of 1/ 160 of the daylight. In strong sunlight the plant changed the position of their leaves, by collapsing the leaflets down. This causes the wood sorrel protects against water loss due to transpiration because the stomata of the leaf undersides put together.

When humidity is high active removal of water ( guttation ) is performed. The sorrel has two kinds of flowers:

• A bell-shaped, which is accessible to bees and bumblebees. This is rare due to the predominantly shady locations and is usually configured at the first spring blossoms. The seed development is rather low here. The violet veins and yellowish spots of the petals encourage pollination. As juice times they lure the insects to the base of the petals, where sweet nectar is offered.
• A closed blossom, in the self- pollination ( cleistogamy ) takes place. This form is usually developed in the later, short handle blossoming flowers near the ground. Compared to the bell-shaped flower significantly more seeds are formed.

The fruits are nutty and triangular. By a spin mechanism which seed dispersal is favored. The germination is given immediately after ripening and depending on humidity.

The early bloomers relates the required reserve materials both from its creeping rhizome and thickened from the leaf base its evergreen fleshy -leaves. After the death of the upper leaves, the leaf bases remain as pudgy storage shed on the rhizome.

About joints, sitting at the junction of the leaves to the stem and react to changes in the cell pressure, the plant can fold their leaves umbrella -like. This is observed, for example, with stronger vibrations, with over-exposure, at lower temperatures and in the dark. A Turgorabnahme on the hinge base and the rib top causes these folding position. The control is well- turgorins ( chemical cues ), which can be found among others in the mimosas. Lenticular cells on the leaf surface presumably function as measuring instruments.

The wood sorrel is a juice pressure spreader, which expels its seeds from 16 to 17 bar.

It is a endotrophic mycorrhizal available.

Occurrence

Widespread is the wood sorrel in the northern and temperate latitudes of Europe and Asia.

Wood sorrel grows on acidic forest soils in extremely shady and moist to wet places in mixed deciduous forests and coniferous forests. It can also withstand deeper shade. Plant sociology: In Central Europe it has spread its focus Galio in Abietion and montane Fagion companies. It also occurs in other Fagetalia - and in - Betulo Adenostyletea or weedy Vaccinio - Piceetalia companies. In the Alps it occurs at altitudes of up to 1940 meters.

Ingredients

Primary (acid ) potassium oxalate = Kaliumbioxalat = Sal Acetosellae = clover salt. Add small amounts of oxalic acid is included. In the rhizome, a small amount will anthraquinone derivative ( chrysophansäureähnliche substance). The seeds contain fatty oil.

Use

From the chopped leaves soups, sauces and salads can be made. Only small amounts should be used because sorrel is toxic in larger quantities.

The sorrel was collected until the 19th century in the Black Forest for the preparation of sorrel salt Sal Acetosellae or Acidum oxalicum.

If sorrel occurs en masse, it can be toxic to livestock. In human poisonings are rare, and only in the mass- consumption.