Two new Oxalis (Oxalidaceae) species from the Richtersveld National Park, South Africa

Two new species of Oxalis, Oxalis nivea and Oxalis rosettifolia, have been discovered in the Richtersveld National Park, South Africa. These species exhibit strong morphological similarities to members of the South African Oxalis section Cernuae but are distinguished by unique traits such as white flowers in O. nivea and a combination of flat basal rosette leaves, terete petioles, flask-shaped floral tubes, and enlarged bracts in O. rosettifolia. Phylogenetic analyses using nuclear ITS and plastid trnSG data confirmed their placement within a clade containing Oxalis pes-caprae, highlighting their close relationship with other species like O. copiosa and O. cf. haedulipes. This discovery contributes to the understanding of biodiversity in the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape.

DREYER, L. L., ROETS, F., & OBERLANDER, K. C. (2013). Two new Oxalis (Oxalidaceae) species from the Richtersveld National Park, South Africa. Phytotaxa, 89(2). https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.89.2.2