Polygonaceae
Oxyria digyna

Mountain Sorrel

Erect stems, basal leaves. Plant hairless late in the season. Leaves round to heart-shaped, with long petioles, fleshy, sour-tasting. Flower stems numerous, upper section crowded with many red and green flowers on short stalks. Seed in center of flat round disk. Grows in rocky open sites, alpine rock crevices, talus, at high elevations. Circumboreal. Oxyria means "sour" and refers to the very acid-tasting leaves, which can be used in salads.

  • Rarity: Locally Common
  • Flowering Time: Mid Summer
  • Life Cycle: Perennial
  • Height: under 20 inches
  • Habitat: Alpine, Subalpine
  • Found In: Olympic Np, Mt. Rainier Np, N Cascades Np, Crater Lake Np, Wallowas, Steens
  • Native: Yes

More Information: