Seedlings have 2 round leaves, and the first true leaves are a replica of the mature, heart-shaped leaflets. ![]() ![]() Moist, hot conditions inhibit seed germination for example, 4 hours of moist heat at 97☏ decreases germination by 96%, while 8 hours stops it altogether. It isn’t known how long seeds remain viable in the soil. Seeds can germinate any time of year in California, but most plant establishment takes place in fall. Optimum seed germination occurs between 60° and 80☏, although it can occur at lower temperatures. Because seeds are rough, they can stick to machinery, plastic pots, irrigation tubing, and clothing. When seedpods mature, they rupture, and seeds are forcefully expelled, landing up to 10 feet from the plant. There are about 10 to 50 seeds per pod, with a potential for more than 5,000 seeds per plant. Seeds are oval, flat, rough, reddish brown sometimes with gray spots, and about 1/25 inch long. Seedpods are erect, hairy, cylindrical capsules with a pointed tip about 1/3 to 1 inch long and resemble miniature okra. The flowers have 5 small, yellow petals about 1/8- to 1/3-inch long that are borne singly in small clusters of 2 to 5 flowers on the ends of short, slender stalks. If creeping woodsorrel plants are stressed due to drought or intense heat, the leaves sometimes turn reddish and wilt.Ĭreeping woodsorrel can bloom almost any time during the year, although spring is a time of heavy flowering and seed formation. Leaves are green to purple and often close and fold downward in intense light and at night. The leaves are comprised of 3 heart-shaped leaflets attached to the tip of a long stem. It grows in both full sun and shade if the area receives adequate moisture. IDENTIFICATION AND LIFE CYCLE Creeping WoodsorrelĪ perennial plant that lives for several seasons, creeping woodsorrel grows in a prostrate manner (low and creeping) and forms roots and stems where nodes contact the soil. ![]() If livestock ingest large quantities, they can suffer from oxalate poisoning. The genus name Oxalis is derived from the Greek word meaning “sour,” referring to the sour-tasting oxalic acid present throughout the plants. In recent years it has been encroaching in natural areas and hillside plantings along California’s coast. Bermuda buttercup, also called Buttercup oxalis, has been cultivated as an ornamental, and although you’ll occasionally find it in lawns, more often it is a problem in flowerbeds, groundcovers, and shrub areas in home landscapes or in commercial, field-grown flowers. pes-caprae, is a South African native that grows in California’s coastal gardens and fields as well as inland landscaped areas. In California it usually grows below the 2,500-foot elevation level and frequently appears in lawns, flower beds, gardens, nurseries, and greenhouses.Ī related species, Bermuda buttercup, O. It spreads by sending out runners that creep across the surface of the lawn/soil and develops tough anchoring roots at several points along the way.Ĭreeping buttercup is more palatable than other butter cups so may be grazed on by stock however it is likely to cause diarrhoea in both cattle and sheep.Creeping woodsorrel, Oxalis corniculata, is a weed species that occurs in many parts of the world. It mainly spreads by seed but can also grow from small pieces of rooting stem. It can also deplete the land of potassium and may cause a allelopathic effect on any neighbouring plants. It can tolerate both waterlogging and a moderate drought.Ĭreeping buttercup is a troublesome weed particularly in poorly drained soil that is difficult to control and can quickly smother grass in lawns and plants in beds and borders. It is common in gateways and paths as it is good at tolerating trampling and compaction. It often occurs in a band like formation along the bottom of ridges and furrows. In mown grass the yellow flowers will be absent but it’s three-lobed serrated leaves are easily identifiable. It thrives in wet, heavy clay soil conditions forming a dense network of shoots, runners and roots and its presence often indicates the need for improvements to soil structure and drainage.Ĭreeping Buttercup can be easily identified with it’s glossy-yellow flowers from May to September however it has a courser, more low-lying foliage than meadow buttercup (R.acris) and does not bear bulbs like the way less yellow celandine (R.ficaria) does. It is the commonest of the buttercups and is an efficient colonist of areas disturbed by man and a troublesome weed of arable land. Creeping buttercup is a common garden weed found in lawns, borders and bare soil areas with low-lying foliage that forms mats.
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