Oxalis corniculata L.

Code

OXACO

Growth form

broadleaf

Biological cycle

annual/vivacious

Habitat

terrestrial

Mayotte : Oxalis corniculata flowers and fruits all year round.
New Caledonia: Flowering of Oxalis corniculata occurs mainly during the rainy season.

Algeria: Oxalis corniculata has a spring germination and a flowering from March to October.

Oxalis latifolia can be confused with O. corniculata. O. latifolia is in tufts, has purple flowers and triangular large leaflets while O. corniculata is prostrate, with yellow flowers and rounded small leaflets.

It occurs on the roadsides and fields up to 300 meters. It can become a troublesome weed in crops.

Comoros: Oxalis corniculata is present on roadsides and fields up to 300 m altitude.
Madagascar: ruderal species and weed uncommon in rainfed crops in highland and in humid areas, on sandy loam soil, alluvium soil and colluvium soil of slope.
Mauritius: Species widespread at all altitudes and become a troublesome weed in the crop.
Mayotte: Oxalis corniculata is an exotic species very commonly naturalized in degraded environments such as crops, villages, roadsides.
New Caledonia: It is relatively common up to average elevations of 500 to 600 m in market gardening, in gardens, aisles, wastelands, disturbed forests and pastures. She prefers the soft, not too dry floors, in full light or slightly in the shade.
Reunion: The species is very common everywhere in Reunion, in all areas. It occurs on fine clayey and not too dry soils, in full light to slightly shaded. It essentially found on sandy and silts soils rich in nutrients.
Seychelles: A weed present in all agricultural areas but more common at altitude.
 

Algeria: Oxalis corniculata is a ruderal (shaded walls and roadsides) and a cereal-growing species rather rare in irrigated annual crops, greenhouse crops as well as nurseries and gardens throughout the country. It is a thermophilic species preferring sandy and sandy-loam soils sufficiently rich in nitrogen.

Overall harmfulness
 
Oxalis corniculata poses few problems in pastures, however, biological characteristics that make it a potentially invasive species and toxicity call for supervision to limit its spread across the farms and in the territory. It can become a troublesome weed in lawn and crops. O. corniculata is declared invasive species in the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawaii and in the Australian Queensland.
 
Local harmfulness
 
Comoros: Oxalis corniculata is a scarce weed.
Madagascar: rare and scarce species in annual cultures.
Mauritius: A weed very present in the sugar cane fields, but with a relatively low harmfulness for the crop. However it does have a medium to high harmfulness in certain vegetables crops.
Mayotte: Oxalis corniculata is a very frequent weed, present in 37% of cultivated plots. It is very abundant in pineapple and ylang crops, and is also present in fruit crops. It is a perennial plant which develops more in dry season. It is mainly present in the north of the island.
New Caledonia: Introduced in the 18th century, it is relatively common up to average altitudes of 500 to 600 m in market gardening, gardens, verges, wastelands, disturbed forests and pastures.
Reunion: This weed is the most common species of Reunion cultures with relative frequency of 70%, particularly in vegetable crops and sugar cane. Its abundance is highly variable, up to 85% covering in very invasive vegetable gardening.
Seychelles: This weed can be a problem in greenhouses and in vegetable and ornamental crops.
South Africa: Occurs in the Western cape province and the entire Eastern part of South Africa. It is a troublesome weed for lawns and gardens and in crops. Sometimes it contains oxalic acid that cause poisoning in livestock.

Local harmfulness

Algeria: Oxalis corniculata is a minor "weed". Uncommon and not very abundant, it does not generally constitute a nuisance for the crops.

Medicinal: Oxalis corniculata is used as traditionally medicine to treat snake bites. The extracts of the whole plant allow the treatment of chronic phases of inflammation.
Food: Leaves and flowers are edible.

Control

Selective herbicide (2,4-D) can be used in pastures or monocotyledone crops (sugar cane, maize...) or total herbicide (glyphosate).

Local management
Madagascar: The oxalis have the ability to grow even through a thick mulch (through their root reserves). The manuak weeding is therefore difficult. Chemical control is difficult since the oxalis are insensitive to most herbicides available in Madagascar, except to diuron (and also ametryn and oxyfluorfen, not available in Madagascar). It is therefore essential to eliminate them before they become abundant
New Caledonia: Oxalis corniculata is a weed which poses few problems in pastures, however its biological characteristics make it a potentially invasive species and its toxicity requires a supervision in order to limit its spread throughout the livestock farms and on the territory. The beginnings of infestation must be destroyed. In some situations, a very dense development can cause total loss of forage plants which also requires attention. Asexual reproduction of this species leads to resort to a selective (2,4-D)  or complete (glyphosate) chemical treatment.

Reunion :

(doses are mentionned in commercial product) - 2014

Data acquired in Reunion on the effectiveness of herbicide products within the framework of the sugarcane herbicide network by eRcane with funding from ODEADOM and ONEMA.
Action led by the French Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, with the financial support of the National Office for Water and Aquatic Environments, using funds from the fee for diffuse pollution allocated to the Ecophyto plan.