Oxalis valdiviensis
Oxalis valdiviensis
Safety & Hazards
The leaves contain oxalic acid, which gives them their sharp flavour. Perfectly all right in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since oxalic acid can bind up the body's supply of calcium leading to nutritional deficiency. The quantity of oxalic acid will be reduced if the leaves are cooked. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[ 238 Title Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Publication Author Bown. D. Publisher Dorling Kindersley, London. Year 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31 Description A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant. ].
Botanical Description
Oxalis valdiviensis is a herbaceous perennial plant producing dense clusters of leaves atop a slowly spreading rhizomatous rootstock; it can grow around 30cm tall[ 330 Title ChileFlora Publication Author Website http://www.chileflora.com/index.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Not realy a flora, but a lovely site with lots of helpful information for the gardener and an abundance of excellent photos covering over 2,000 species of Chilean plants. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental[ 330 Title ChileFlora Publication Author Website http://www.chileflora.com/index.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Not realy a flora, but a lovely site with lots of helpful information for the gardener and an abundance of excellent photos covering over 2,000 species of Chilean plants. ].