Scientific Family
Oxalidaceae
Synonyms
Ionoxalis caerulea
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
Up to 6 inches
Riparian
Yes
Perennial; stemless; rhizomes and stolons absent; bulb solitary and prominently veined, 3 to 7 bulb scales (fleshy, succulent layering); compound leaves of 3 heart-shaped leaflets; umbrella-shaped flower clusters.
Plants not stemmed; no rhizomes; form bulbs; leaves basal, leaflets 3 to 5, 4 common, rounded triangular shape, green upper surface, green to purplish lower surface; flowers in groups of 1 to 7, petals white to red to pinkish purple.
Habitat
Streambeds, stream banks, meadows, pinyon-juniper, pine-oak-juniper, or pine-aspen woodlands.
Plant Community
Riparian
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Low elevation
6900
High elevation
9000
Flower Characteristics
Umbrella-shaped clusters, 1 to 7 flowers per cluster, on stalks 2 to 5 inches long; distylous (styles of differing lengths); sepal tips with 2 orange, linear bumps; petals white to red to pinkish-purple, 1/4 inch long, smooth.
Flower color
White, red, pinkish-purple
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
July
Last bloom month
September
Flower clusters
Rounded
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Compound leaves basal; leaflets heart-shaped, smooth, green above, green to purplish below; leaflet tips notched and rounded; leaf stem 1 to 4 inches; oxalate deposits (a salt or ester of oxalic acid) absent or as a few glands in lobed tips.
Leaf type
Compound
Leaf color
Green, purplish
Leaf shape
Palmate
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
None
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Fruit a 5-celled capsule, elliptic, 1/8 to 1/4 inch long, smooth.
Fruit type
Capsule
Seeds 1/16 inch long.