Hello all.

Please can anyone identify this plant which grows in a couple of places
alongside the side path of our house, where it's pretty shady and damp? The
plant pops up from time to time, in a couple of places, and then dies back
only to reappear a few weeks/months later. I don't recall ever seeing it
flower.

It resembles a large four-leaf clover with a purple patch in the centre, and
stands about 15-20cm high (6-8" in old money). I have not seen it anywhere
else, and no-one I have asked has been able to identify it. Mind you, that
isn't saying much as they are all as ignorant about plants as I am!

There is a good-quality photo at
http://www.sterry.org.uk/temp/mysteryplant.jpg .

Thanks

--
Rick

In article , Richard Sterry
writes
Hello all.

Please can anyone identify this plant which grows in a couple of places
alongside the side path of our house, where it's pretty shady and damp? The
plant pops up from time to time, in a couple of places, and then dies back
only to reappear a few weeks/months later. I don't recall ever seeing it
flower.

It resembles a large four-leaf clover with a purple patch in the centre, and
stands about 15-20cm high (6-8" in old money). I have not seen it anywhere
else, and no-one I have asked has been able to identify it. Mind you, that
isn't saying much as they are all as ignorant about plants as I am!

There is a good-quality photo at
http://www.sterry.org.uk/temp/mysteryplant.jpg .

My first thought was Oxalis, but they all seem to have 3-lobed leaves -
see for example:

http://msucares.com/news/print/sgnew...030512_200.jpg

Does your plant flower ever?

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Richard Sterry" wrote in message
...
Hello all.

Please can anyone identify this plant which grows in a couple of places
alongside the side path of our house, where it's pretty shady and damp? The
plant pops up from time to time, in a couple of places, and then dies back
only to reappear a few weeks/months later. I don't recall ever seeing it
flower.

It resembles a large four-leaf clover with a purple patch in the centre, and
stands about 15-20cm high (6-8" in old money). I have not seen it anywhere
else, and no-one I have asked has been able to identify it. Mind you, that
isn't saying much as they are all as ignorant about plants as I am!

There is a good-quality photo at
http://www.sterry.org.uk/temp/mysteryplant.jpg .

Thanks
Rick

It's Oxalis deppei - likes lots of water.........

Oxalis tetraphylla syn. Oxalis deppei has green leaves with the center of the
leaf reddish brown. It the variety 'Iron Cross' is is very deep. This is the
"four leafed clover". It is a summer bloomer from Mexico. Photo by Bill Dijk
http://www.ibiblio.org/pbs/pbswiki/f...tetraphylla.jp
g

Jenny

"Richard Sterry" wrote in message
...
Hello all.

Please can anyone identify this plant which grows in a couple of places
alongside the side path of our house, where it's pretty shady and damp?
The
plant pops up from time to time, in a couple of places, and then dies back
only to reappear a few weeks/months later. I don't recall ever seeing it
flower.

It resembles a large four-leaf clover with a purple patch in the centre,
and
stands about 15-20cm high (6-8" in old money). I have not seen it anywhere
else, and no-one I have asked has been able to identify it. Mind you, that
isn't saying much as they are all as ignorant about plants as I am!

There is a good-quality photo at
http://www.sterry.org.uk/temp/mysteryplant.jpg .

Thanks

--
Rick

It looks like an oxalis to me. Has it got small pink flowers?

If you like it it's easy to propagate from the bulbs.

Steve

"shazzbat" wrote in message
...

"Richard Sterry" wrote in message
...
Hello all.

Please can anyone identify this plant which grows in a couple of places
alongside the side path of our house, where it's pretty shady and damp?
The
plant pops up from time to time, in a couple of places, and then dies back
only to reappear a few weeks/months later. I don't recall ever seeing it
flower.

It resembles a large four-leaf clover with a purple patch in the centre,
and
stands about 15-20cm high (6-8" in old money). I have not seen it anywhere
else, and no-one I have asked has been able to identify it. Mind you, that
isn't saying much as they are all as ignorant about plants as I am!

There is a good-quality photo at
http://www.sterry.org.uk/temp/mysteryplant.jpg .

Thanks Rick

It looks like an oxalis to me. Has it got small pink flowers?
If you like it it's easy to propagate from the bulbs.
Steve

Link in my [previous post seems incorrect - try
http://www.ibiblio.org/pbs/pbswiki/index.php/Oxalis
Jenny

JennyC wrote:
"Richard Sterry" wrote in message
...
There is a good-quality photo at
http://www.sterry.org.uk/temp/mysteryplant.jpg .

Thanks
Rick

It's Oxalis deppei - likes lots of water.........

Oxalis tetraphylla syn. Oxalis deppei has green leaves with the center of
the leaf reddish brown. It the variety 'Iron Cross' is is very deep. This
is the "four leafed clover". It is a summer bloomer from Mexico. Photo by
Bill Dijk

http://www.ibiblio.org/pbs/pbswiki/f...tetraphylla.jp
g

Jenny

Thanks Jenny.

The leaves certainly look a pretty good match to me, but we've never seen
any flowers - we didn't even know if it was a wild plant or a cultivated
one. Interestingly, now that the light is failing, the leaves have folded
down so that the leaf edges touch, which then makes the leaves resemble the
flights of a dart. You can just see this happening on the leaves at the
extreme bottom right of the photo that you pointed to.

If I could figure out what it needs to enable it to flower, I would gladly
do the necessary as it's an interesting little plant.

Thanks again for the ID - I'll do a little Googling now. Thanks also to
anyone else who identified it as an Oxalis.

Bye from Rick

"Richard Sterry" wrote in message
...
JennyC wrote:

[snip]

Oxalis tetraphylla syn. Oxalis deppei has green leaves with the
center of
the leaf reddish brown. It the variety 'Iron Cross' is is very
deep. This
is the "four leafed clover". It is a summer bloomer from Mexico.
Photo by
Bill Dijk


http://www.ibiblio.org/pbs/pbswiki/f...tetraphylla.jp
g

Jenny

Thanks Jenny.

The leaves certainly look a pretty good match to me, but we've never
seen
any flowers - we didn't even know if it was a wild plant or a
cultivated
one. Interestingly, now that the light is failing, the leaves have
folded
down so that the leaf edges touch, which then makes the leaves
resemble the
flights of a dart. You can just see this happening on the leaves at
the
extreme bottom right of the photo that you pointed to.

That is a common feature of many (all?) members of the Oxalis genus.

If I could figure out what it needs to enable it to flower, I would
gladly
do the necessary as it's an interesting little plant.

Probably putting it in a good light will help. But watch it, many of
this genus are very rampant and are quite difficult to eradicate once
they have established a colony.

Franz

JennyC wrote:

Link in my [previous post seems incorrect - try
http://www.ibiblio.org/pbs/pbswiki/index.php/Oxalis
Jenny

All that had happened was that the final "g" on the ".jpg" suffix had
wrapped round to the following line, and I sussed that no problem thanks.

Rick

Franz Heymann wrote:
If I could figure out what it needs to enable it to flower, I would
gladly do the necessary as it's an interesting little plant.

Probably putting it in a good light will help. But watch it, many of
this genus are very rampant and are quite difficult to eradicate once
they have established a colony.

Thanks for the advice and warning.

Rick

"Franz Heymann" wrote
JennyC wrote:

[snip]

Oxalis tetraphylla syn.

Probably putting it in a good light will help. But watch it, many of
this genus are very rampant and are quite difficult to eradicate once
they have established a colony.
Franz

What sort of winter temperature can it stand outside?
Mines in a pot and I was wondering whether to plant it our or bring it in...
Jenny

"JennyC" wrote in message
...

"Franz Heymann" wrote
JennyC wrote:

[snip]

Oxalis tetraphylla syn.

Probably putting it in a good light will help. But watch it, many
of
this genus are very rampant and are quite difficult to eradicate
once
they have established a colony.
Franz

What sort of winter temperature can it stand outside?
Mines in a pot and I was wondering whether to plant it our or bring
it in...

According to the RHS Encyclopedia it will take it down to -5 deg C.
I used to have a clump thriving outdoors for many years in the Woking
area.

Franz

Franz Heymann wrote:

According to the RHS Encyclopedia it will take it down to -5 deg C.
I used to have a clump thriving outdoors for many years in the Woking
area.

Well, I'm on the outskirts of sunny Wakefield in West Yorkshire, and the two
small clumps that I have seem to have survived for several years, though
they aren't exactly thriving in that they are not spreading and they are not
flowering. Maybe I will try lifting them and storing them over the winter,
and replant them somewhere a bit sunnier next year.

Rick