Yellow Woodsorrel (Oxalis stricta)

Among the many little plants that can pop up in lawns and back yards throughout much of the world is the woodsorrel. There are several species in the Oxalis family, and various species are found throughout much of planet Earth, except for the arctic and antarctic regions.

The plant has three heart-shaped leaves that often have a chevron-shaped mark in pale-green or whitish-green color. At night, the leaves fold, and then reopen in the morning.

The dark-green leaves resemble those of the clover plant, and is sometimes thus called the "false shamrock." The flowers are very different, though —see the photo at the right of a clover flower, and compare it to the woodsorrel flower, above.

The flowers and leaves of the woodsorrel are edible and have a tangy taste. Because of the oxalic acid in the plant, though, only small quantities are safe for consumption because it can disrupt the body's supply of calcium and can lead to kidney failure, among other things. The plant is sometimes chewed, though, by hikers and farmers to assuage thirst when water isn't readily available.

The flowers of the woodsorrel are very small, as shown in the photo, below, with my thumb in the photograph for size comparison of the flowers:

The different species of the genus Oxalis have flowers of varying colors, including some special hybrids that were cross-bred by nurseries. Besides the cheerful yellow of Oxalis stricta shown above, longtime followers of my Steemit blog might remember the flower I placed in my introductory post, of an Oxalis debilis flower, the Pink Woodsorrel:

Woodsorrel is a delightful plant for a child to find, especially when it is blooming, because of its small size. However, many adults overlook such tiny flowers, which is a shame. Thank you for enjoying them with me today! 😊