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Oxalidaceae was named by Robert Brown in the late 1700s and Linnaeus named the genus, Oxalis, in 1753.
Oxalis dillenii (Yellow Wood Sorrel)
Oxalidaceae (Flax Family)

Montane. Openings, meadows. Summer.
Turkey Springs Trail, June 26, 2007.

In the Four Corners area, this tiny Oxalis is found in only a few places.  It is quite common, though, in the mid-western and eastern United States.  Stems and petioles have hairs; leaves are smooth and shiny.

Greek ""oxys", meaning "sharp", was given for the sharp, sour, taste of the plant.  In 1732 the plant was first documented in a drawing by botanical illustrator, J. Dillenius, and the plant was named by Nicolaus Jacquin in 1794.  (More biographical information.)
Oxalis dillenii (Yellow Wood Sorrel)
Oxalidaceae (Flax Family)

Montane. Openings, meadows. Summer.
Turkey Springs Trail, June 26, 2007.

 

 Oxalis violacea (Wood Sorrel)
Oxalidaceae (Wood Sorrel Family)

Montane.  Meadows.  Summer.
East Fork of the San Juan, June 25, 2007.

In the Four Corners area, this uncommon Wood Sorrel occurs just in a few counties of Colorado and New Mexico.  It is a very common plant of the mid-western and eastern United States.  The flower is not violet, as its name might seem to imply, but rather light pink, white, or lavender.  The plant grows five-to-eight inches tall; enjoys rocky, dry areas; and can form large colonies from its spreading runners.

Linnaeus named this species in 1753.
Oxalis violacea (Wood Sorrel)
Oxalidaceae (Wood Sorrel Family)

Montane.  Meadows.  Summer.
East Fork of the San Juan, June 25, 2007.