Creeping wood sorrel (Oxalis corniculata).
A small ground hugging herb, bearing diminutive yellow flowers.
And yet, its delicate appearance belies its tenacious nature - this species has spread so far and wide around the world - in the tropics, the sub-tropics, and the temperate zone - that its true origins have been lost to the sands of time.
#botany #SuperSpecies #wildflowers #plantbio #wildlife #UrbanNature #UrbanWildlife #UrbanBotany
This persistent little weed is a real #SuperSpecies - It can self-pollinate, produce copious amounts of sticky seeds (in tiny capsule-pods which explosively discharge seeds up to 5 meters!!) which stick to clothing, footwear, and are unwittingly dispersed by people.
#botany #plantsci #plants #wildflowers #UrbanNature #UrbanWildlife #UrbanBotany #TheUrbanBestiary #wildlife
Clumps of this species rapidly crop up in open spaces - alongside #roads, in #parks and #gardens, in agricultural #plantations, and even hot houses in the #temperate zones.
They can even be found growing in more natural environments such as #forests and #grasslands, and along #river banks.
#botany #UrbanBotany #UrbanNature #wildlife #UrbanWildlife #plantsci #plants
This truly cosmopolitan #plant is utilized by native #butterflies, both as a source of nectar (Pseudozizeeria maha - the Pale Grass Blue, and Castalius rosimon - the Common Pierrot) and as #caterpillar fodder (Plain Grass Blue).
And like the other hardy, urban #wildflowers gracing #Mumbai 's concrete jungle, the creeping wood sorrel also serves to brighten the city's dull side walks, which would be far poorer for the lack of the occasional spot of color to break the monotony of its cement soul.
📸 :
I & II - 29 NOV 2022 (14:42 hrs.) at Govandi East, Eastern #mumbai
III - 24 FEB 2021 at #Powai, #Hiranandani, Central #Mumbai.
IV - Common Pierrot Butterfly 📸 27 OCT 2020, at #Nagaon, #Alibaug district, #Maharashtra, #India.
Javed Ahmed