The mystery seeds from last week that look like insects were indeed from yellow wood sorrel, Oxalis stricta.

yellow-wood-sorrel-pod-leaf-flowerYellow wood sorrel is a small short-lived perennial that grows throughout much of North America.

yellow-wood-sorrel-leaf-7It is sometimes mistaken as clover because the leaves are composed of three heart-shaped leaflets.

sorrel-flower-101 The delicate 5-petal flowers are pale to bright yellow.

There are a couple of other closely-related species of Oxalis that resemble O. stricta, and may be difficult to identify.

Native to North America, yellow wood sorrel can be considered to be a weed in certain nursery or turfgrass situations. Others may enjoy its delicate beauty, and consider it to be a wildflower.

In any case, don’t you think it has unusual seeds?

mystery-seed-230-mature