Common Oxalis.

Common oxalis

Common oxalis is a perennial herbaceous plant of the oxalis family, 5-10 cm high. The rhizome is thin, creeping, located on the soil surface and covered with reddish scales. The leaves, stem and flowers have a sour taste.

The leaves are trifoliate on long petioles. Blooms from April to August. The flowers are solitary, white or pink, on long stalks. In summer, unopening flowers develop. The fruit is an oblong five-lobed capsule that ripens in June-July. The seeds are brown, longitudinally furrowed.

Widely distributed in the forests of European Russia, Siberia, the Caucasus and the Far East. It grows in damp coniferous and mixed forests, in floodplains of streams, and forms thickets around swamps. Shade-tolerant, prefers open areas and clearings.

Used for food and as a fodder plant for livestock. The juice is used to remove stains from fabrics and paper.

The medicinal raw material is the aerial part, harvested during the flowering period. Contains vitamin C, carotene, organic acids and flavonoids.

Oxalis preparations normalize stomach acidity, improve appetite, reduce blood pressure, and have an anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effect. Used for vitamin deficiencies, liver diseases, gastritis. The decoction is indicated for colds, kidney inflammation, and cardiovascular diseases.

Excessive consumption may cause kidney irritation. Use with caution in case of blood clotting disorders and a tendency to convulsions.