Oxyria digyna (mountain sorrel, wood sorrel, Alpine sorrel or Alpine mountain-sorrel) is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae). It is native to arctic regions and mountainous parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

Description

Mountain sorrel is a perennial plant with a tough taproot; the plant grows to a height of . It grows in dense tufts, with stems that are usually unbranched and hairless. Both flowering stems and leaf stalks are somewhat reddish. The leaves are kidney-shaped, somewhat fleshy, on stalks from the basal part of the stem. Flowers are small, green and later reddish, and are grouped in an open upright cluster. The fruit is a small nut, encircled by a broad wing which finally turns red. Forming dense, red tufts, the plant is easily recognized. Oxyria digyna grows in wet places protected by snow in winter. Oxyria (from Greek) means "sour".

Uses

The leaves of mountain sorrel have a sour or fresh acidic taste (due to oxalic acid) and are rich in vitamin C, containing about 36 mg/100 g. They were used by the Inuit to prevent and cure scurvy. Mountain sorrel has also been an important plant in Saami diet. The plant is important for both insects and larger animals that feed on it in arctic and alpine regions where it occurs.

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File:Oxyria digyna - Mountsorrel-1.jpg|Svalbard

File:Oxyria digyna - Mountsorrel2-1.jpg|Svalbard

File:Oxyria_digyna_8596.JPG|Mount Rainier National Park

File:Oxyria_digyna_4069.JPG|North Cascades National Park

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References

  • Jepson Manual Treatment
  • Photo gallery