Creeping woodsorrel is either native to or naturalized in North America.
Plants: Plants are low-growing, prostrate, up to 4″ (10 cm), and rather delicate
and vulnerable-looking. It spreads by producing creeping, horizontal
stems (stolons) up to 12″ (30 cm) long.
Leaves: Trifoliate, with three rounded heart-shaped leaflets, like clover.
They fold up like miniature parasols when there is too much sun.
Leaves are purple-green or dark purple, and somewhat hairy, especially along leaf margins. Leaves are ⅛–⅜ ⨉ ⅛–⅞″ (6–10 ⨉ 4–25 mm).
Leafs stalks are longer than in most plants, up to 2½″ (7 cm).
Flowers: Flowers are bright yellow, with five petals, in clusters of
2-7, ⅛–½″ (3.2–12 mm) around, appearing from June to September. Flower stalks are erect or ascending.
Fruits: Narrow, cylindrical capsules, ⅛–1″ (6–28 mm) long.
When it dries it “explodes,” spreading is 1/32″ (1 mm) seeds.
Edibility: Leaves are edible as salad greens or cook as potherbs if
combined with other milder greens. They contain oxalic acid which is poisonous unless eaten sparingly.
Acetosella corniculata (L.) Kuntze Oxalis corniculata L. var. atropurpurea Planch. Oxalis corniculata L. var. corniculata Oxalis corniculata L. var. lupulina (R. Knuth) Zucc. Oxalis corniculata L. var. langloisii (Small) Wiegand Oxalis corniculata L. var. macrophylla Arsene ex R. Knuth Oxalis corniculata L. var. minor Laing Oxalis corniculata L. var. reptans Laing Oxalis corniculata L. var. villosa (M. Bieb.) Hohen. Oxalis corniculata L. var. viscidula Wiegand Oxalis langloisii (Small) Fedde Oxalis pusilla Salisb. Oxalis repens Thunb. Oxalis villosa M. Bieb. Xanthoxalis corniculata (L.) Small Xanthoxalis corniculata (L.) Small var. atropurpurea (Planch.) Moldenke Xanthoxalis langloisii Small Xanthoxalis repens (Thunb.) Moldenke
6/19/2024 · Red Rose Preserve, Bowdoinham, Maine · ≈ 7 × 5″ (16 × 13 cm)
7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4½″ (14 × 11 cm)
7/15/2021 · Tom and Susan’s, Highland Green, Topsham, Maine · ≈ 6 × 9″ (15 × 22 cm)
