A genus of small herbaceous plants, in the family Oxalidaceae, comprising about 850 species, native primarily to southern Africa and tropical and South America. A few South American species have edible tubers or roots, but most members of the genus are familiar as garden ornamentals. The name is derived from the Greek word oxalis (“acid”) because the plants have an acidic taste.

Britannica Editors. "Oxalis". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Jul. 2013, https://www.britannica.com/plant/Oxalis. Accessed 17 October 2026.