DIGITAL GARDEN

DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY
MEDICINAL PLANTS

Oxalis corniculata L.

Common Name: Creeping woodsorrel
Family: Oxalidaceae
Vernacular Names: Creeping oxalis – English., Pulicheerai – Tamil., Synonyms: Oxalis cilifera A. Cunn., Oxalis ceratilis E. Mey., Oxalis boreaui P. Fourn.
Plant Description: O. corniculata is a narrow creeping stem that readily roots at the nodes. The trifoliate leaves are subdivided into three rounded leaflets and resemble a clover in shape. Leaves have inconspicuous stipules at the base of each petiole. Flowers are small and yellow. Fruit is a narrow cylindrical capsule 1 – 2 cm long and noteworthy for its explosive discharge of the contained seeds.
Distribution and Habitat: O. corniculata comes from Southeastern Asia. It is now cosmopolitan in its distribution.
Uses:
It is used for phytoremediation, and is used as a cure for snakebites and scabies.