Common Name: Culle rosado

General Information

Oxalis rosea is an erect, annual plant growing around 20 - 40cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and probably also for food. It is sold for medicinal use in local markets and is also sometimes grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - central and southern Chile

Habitat

Shady places to deep shade on steep slopes, in ravines and dense forests; at elevations from near sea level to around 2,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.30 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Oxalis rosea is a plant of the warm temperate to subtropical regions of Chile, tolerating only occasional light frosts. It grows in areas with year-round rain and also areas with a dry period of up to 3 - 5 months. Mean annual rainfall is in the range of 400 - 800mm, concentrated in the winter months[].
Plants grow in shady places in the wild, ranging from fairly light shade to heavy shade[].
Plants will often self-sow freely[, ].

Edible Uses

In Chile, especially on hot summer days, it is a common practice in the countryside to chew the stems and leaves and suck the juice from various species of Oxalis plants since the taste is acidic and refreshing[].

Medicinal

The fresh herb is pressed into flat cakes, shaped somewhat like sopaipillas (a traditional Latin American food). These are sold in local markets as a febrifuges under the name of culli[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -