Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Ah HAH!: it's Oxalis pes-caprae


Oxalis pes-caprae, also called Bermuda buttercup, native to South Africa and with edible leaves.

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.


OK, back to Nancy Pelosi and the Pope.

Sigh...

2 comments:

Mark S. Abeln said...

Wildflowers, so very delightful! And an identified species, even more so!

Unknown said...

I am pleased to have stumbled upon this blog as well as this wildflower identification. I have fond memories of searching for clumps of this plant growing along the old, cracked sidewalks where I used to live as a child. My step-father showed me that I could pick the stalks and chew on them (a wonderfully tangy lemon flavor) but I never knew that one could eat the leaves.