again, i apologize for not having anything in the photo for scale, but can say that the bloom was about 1/4″ dia at the base, and 5/8″ long. photos taken in Pickens county, SC, 16 October 2012. location was moist, deeply shaded creek bottom in oak/hickory forest. the bloom reminds me of a toothwort, but grow from the side of the plant stem like a mayapple bloom. those triangular, truncate leaves (three for each plant) throw me for a loop. can’t find anything that matches. appreciate your help.
regards, Lee
Hi Lee, well, your plant is an Oxalis, wood sorrel, but I’m not positive on the species. It does not look too much like any of the natives – Oxalis acetosella, Oxalis rubra, or Oxalis violacea but it reminds me of the cultivated species Oxalis deppei. The old Radford et al. flora lists none of these in Pickens County – but there must be some more recent records. Perhaps someone can enlighten me on recent Oxalis collections [the acaulescent species only, not the yellow-flowered stemmed ones which are not close to this] from Pickens County?
Sincerely, Steve Hill