Common Oxalis

It occurs throughout Europe , the Caucasus , Turkey , China , Mongolia , and North America. On the territory of Russia grows in the European part , in the Caucasus , in Western and Eastern Siberia , in the Far East .

Ordinary acid can be an example of plants that are confined only to certain plant communities , being well adapted to the phytological environment characteristic of these communities. Successfully growing in dark coniferous, especially spruce forests under conditions of significant shading, which, along with the maynica and weeklies , a characteristic representative of the plant community of such forests, it usually quickly disappears when the forest is destroyed (however, in experiments with growing acid from seeds outside natural communities it grew in full sunlight better than shading in forest conditions) ^[2] . In spruce forests, one can often see a continuous cover of common sour ^[3] .

Common sorrel - winter-green ^[4] squat, stemless herbaceous perennial plant, reaches a height of 5-12 cm.

The rhizome is thin, creeping. The roots of sour acid are infected with fungi . Hyphae of the fungal fungus penetrate into the cells of the root cortex ( endotrophic mycorrhiza ) and form tree-like branches ( arbuscules ) or vesicular swellings ( vesicles ) there. In subepidermal cells, the fungal body ( mycelium ) remains alive for a long time, and in the layer of digesting cells ( phagocytes ), the digestion of arbuscules occurs ( tamniscophagy ) ^[3] .

Leaves are long-leaved, triple, soft. Leaflets oberculate, whole margin. Before nightfall or inclement weather, the leaves fold and wilt. They taste sour because they contain oxalic acid salts. The Russian botanist A.F. Batalin in 1872 in his dissertation “On the influence of light on the formation of plant forms” first pointed out the ability of common sour to lower leaves in strong light and from mechanical irritation: the movement of leaves under the influence of these factors occurs as a result of changes in turgor pressure in cells of the pads of the joints of the leaves ^[3] .

Peduncles 5-10 cm long.

It blooms in late spring - early summer (May - June) ^[5] . The flowers are solitary, on long pedicels, white with pink-purple veins and a yellow spot at the base. Sepals are oval, dull, glabrous above, pubescent along the edge. Pollination of the flowers of common sour, associated with the taiga type of vegetation, is a special case. The flowers are monomorphic , but along with open ( chasmogamous ) flowers, there are closed ( cleistogamous ) flowers. In hazmogamous flowers, stigmas and pollen ripen simultaneously, but they cannot come into contact, since stigmas are ⅓ higher than the height of anthers . Self-pollination of flowers is promoted by insects . In the case when insects randomly cross-pollinate , seeds are set. Kleistogamous flowers are very small (about 3 mm) in comparison with hazmogamy flowers (about 2 cm in diameter) and look like buds . They are usually hidden in the litter and appear only when seed maturation in the chasmogamous flowers begins. In cleistogamous flowers, the petals are simplified to tiny scales, the columns are short, the anthers do not open, and the pollen grows inside them and pollen tubes penetrate the anther wall and orient themselves in the direction of the stigma. Kleistogamy in common sour is the most important adaptation to the conditions of dark coniferous taiga. Strong shading and increased moisture causes an increase in the number of Cleistogamous flowers and a decrease in chasmogamous flowers ^[3] .

Fruit - five-celled loculicidal capsule ; opened by breaking the nests. Seeds after ripening are thrown out of the box over a long distance. Seeds are spread by ants ( myrmecochoria )

The plant is poisonous ^[6] .

Leaves contain up to 1% organic acids (mainly oxalic , as well as malic , succinic , etc.) and their salts; young leaves contain more than 0.07% ascorbic acid (up to 0.15% by autumn), carotene , rutin . Due to the presence of organic acids, the leaves have a pleasant sour taste.

Known as a medicinal plant in folk medicine . It is used in the form of infusions and decoctions of grass. Used as a choleretic , diuretic , anti-inflammatory , digestive regulating agent, to eliminate halitosis, metabolic disorders, skin diseases. Leaves are consumed fresh in the spring vitamin deficiency. Fresh sour juice has antiseptic and wound healing properties. Lotions with juice and fresh chopped leaves are applied to purulent wounds and ulcers.

In folk medicine, the plant was used as an antidote for poisoning with mercury and arsenic ^[7] .

The plant has a pleasant sourish taste, but in large quantities it is slightly poisonous, can cause irritation of the kidneys and urinary tract. From freshly ground sugar leaves you can make a vitamin drink. In a mixture with cheese, the leaves are suitable for salads, they are also eaten as a seasoning for egg dishes and soups. The infusion of herbs is sometimes used as a substitute for tea. However, prolonged internal use of this plant can lead to kidney disease.

Common acid was used in dyeing.

When grazing animals in places with a large amount of sour acid (especially in early spring, when there is not enough other food), there are cases of dangerous poisoning (in particular, in sheep), often with fatal outcome.

Honey plant , but honey collection is small.

Sometimes used as an ornamental plant . Prefers moist, humus-rich soil. The plot for growing this plant is better to choose a shady. Common sour acid is propagated by seeds and division of the bush. Expanding, it forms a beautiful carpet.

The species Kislitsa vulgaris is a member of the genus Kislitsa ( Oxalis ) of the Oxalidaceae family of the order Oxalidales .

• Dudchenko L.G., Koziakov A.S., Krivenko V.V. Spicy-aromatic and spicy-flavoring plants: Reference book / Otv. ed. K. M. Sytnik. - K .: Naukova Dumka , 1989 .-- 304 p. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-12-000483-0 .
• All about medicinal plants in your beds / Ed. Radelova S. Yu. - SPb: LLC SZKEO, 2010. - P. 175. - 224 p. - ISBN 978-5-9603-0124-4 .
• Gubanov I.A. et al. 856. Oxalis acetosella L. - Common Oxalis // Illustrated identifier of plants in Central Russia. In 3 t . - M .: T-in scientific. ed. KMK, Institute of Technology. ISS., 2003. - T. 2. Angiosperms (dicotyledonous: dicotyledonous). - S. 511. - ISBN 9-87317-128-9 .

• Oxygen in the Encyclopedia of Ornamental Garden Plants
• Common Oxalis - Oxalis acetosella L.