Exceptional and enigmatic southern African Oxalis – a review

Abstract

Oxalis is a diverse, morphologically variable, and biologically unusual member of South Africa’s flora, but has seen surprisingly little research focus despite its relevance to multiple ecological and evolutionary questions. In this review we sketch what makes this lineage exceptional in terms of what is known, and enigmatic in terms of what still needs attention, through the lens of three decades of research focus on our part. Our hope is to focus attention on, and stimulate research interest in, this extraordinary genus.