Oxalidaceae

Oxalidaceae is a family of flowering plants comprising about 800 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees. The family is distributed worldwide, but the greatest variety is found in tropical regions. The family includes the genus Oxalis, which contains the wood sorrels, and Averrhoa, which includes the carambola and the bilimbi.

Description

Members of the Oxalidaceae family are characterized by their compound, alternate leaves, and their regular, bisexual flowers. The flowers typically have five sepals, five petals, and ten stamens. The fruit is a capsule and splits open by valves.

Taxonomy

The Oxalidaceae family was first described by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789. The family is placed in the order Geraniales in the APG III system of classification. The family includes about 800 species in five genera.

Genera

The Oxalidaceae family includes the following genera:

• Averrhoa
• Biophytum
• Dapania
• Oxalis
• Sarcotheca

Uses

Some species in the Oxalidaceae family are cultivated as ornamental plants. The wood sorrels (Oxalis) are often grown for their attractive foliage and flowers. The carambola (Averrhoa carambola) and the bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi) are grown for their edible fruit.

See also

• List of Oxalidaceae genera
• Geraniales
• Oxalis

References

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