Friday, March 6, 2009

Ibiza Flora: Vinagrella

A visitor to Ibiza today would be astonished by the bright yellow flowers growing practically everywhere on the island – by the roadside, in woods and fields, and my garden!
The flowers, known locally as vinagrella are African Wood Sorrel (Oxalis pes-caprae) and are not indigenous to Ibiza. Like many plants, sorrel can be used medicinally as a diuretic and an antiscorbutic to prevent scurvy!

They have a refreshing taste and if you suck the stem you'll be reminded of sherbet lemons from your childhood. Unfortunately, ingesting large quantities of the plant which contains oxalic acid can have detrimental effects like gastroenteritis and in some cases, kidney stones.


Read more about Ibiza Vegetation

No comments:

Post a Comment