creeping oxalis

8.0

A small low weed with many branches and small yellow flowers that spreads over lawns and gardens

noun

Specialized

: oxalis rastrero

If left unchecked, creeping oxalis can take over flower beds and choke out other plants.

Examples

Creeping oxalis can quickly cover garden beds if not controlled regularly.
The tiny yellow flowers of creeping oxalis are often mistaken for those of other weeds.
Many homeowners struggle to eradicate creeping oxalis from their lawns.
The garden was overrun by creeping oxalis.
Many homeowners struggle with creeping oxalis in their lawns.
Creeping oxalis can quickly cover your lawn if you do not take measures to control it.
Gardeners often find it challenging to remove creeping oxalis due to its rapid growth.

Synonyms

Oxalis corniculata

vscreeping oxalis

Specialized

9.9

A small creeping plant with three leaflets and tiny yellow flowers often found as a weed

is the broader common mat-forming weed noted for many branches and invasiveness

creeping wood sorrel

vscreeping oxalis

8.2

A small weed that grows close to the ground with leaves like a clover and small yellow flowers

is the general mat-forming invasive weed described by spread and many branches

Surface Forms

creeping oxalis singular

creeping oxalises plural

Morphology

creep + oxalis

The phrase simply combines an adjective formed from 'creep' (spreading gradually) with the plant name 'oxalis' to describe an oxalis that spreads across the ground; the meaning is directly compositional and descriptive. This is a standard adjective + noun naming pattern that a learner who knows both constituents can readily infer.

Etymology

The name creeping oxalis describes how the plant grows: creeping means it stays low and spreads across the ground, and oxalis comes from an old word for the 'sour' taste of its leaves. So the name helps you remember it is a low, quickly spreading weed with small, sour leaves.