Oxalis debilis Kunth

Perennial acaulous herb with thick, fleshy, glassy white, contractile root below the main bulb which is surrounded by numerous small bulbils; tunic brown; scales 3-nerved. Lvs 3-foliolate. Petiole usually 7–20 cm long, glabrate or with scattered long hairs; stipular wing broad, membranous, hairy. Petiolule c. 1 mm long, hairy. Lamina of leaflets equal or nearly so, 10–35 × 12–48 mm, broadly obcordate, 2-lobed, rounded, with rather narrow sinus, glabrous or nearly so above, hairy beneath, finely punctate with raised orange calli beneath, especially round the margin. Infl. to 35 cm long, cymose, 3–7- or 10–18-flowered, with long curly hairs; pedicels ± deflexed, very variable in length. Bracts at base of pedicels, 2–3 mm long, with calli present but these often small. Sepals 4–5 mm long, ± elliptic, slightly hairy; calli 2–(4), prominent, orange, apical. Petals 1.5–2 cm long, oblong-obovate, pink to rose, glabrous. Stamens at 2 levels; filaments patently hirsute, dilated towards base, the longer 5–6 mm long. Styles either slightly < the shorter stamens or intermediate between stamen whorls, densely and patently hirsute. Capsule not seen.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Nov.–May.