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Parochetus communis, known in English as shamrock pea or blue oxalis, is a species of legume, and the only species in the genus Parochetus and in the subtribe Parochetinae. It is a low-growing plant with blue papilionaceous flowers and clover-like leaves. It is found in the mountains of Asia and tropical Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand.
Parochetus has been grown in Europe since the early 19th century, but is considered "tender" in the United Kingdom, and will only survive outdoors in warm and sheltered areas. Plants from Asian stock may be hardier than those from Africa.
Parochetus communis is native to the Himalaya and other Asian mountain systems as far south as Java, and also the Afrotropical mountains. In Africa, it is found in Burundi, central Ethiopia, eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and western parts of Uganda, and grows in damp, shady places on the forest floor or along the banks of streams and rivers at altitudes of 1,500–2,000 metres (4,900–6,600 ft). In China, it grows at altitudes of 1,800–3,000 m (5,900–9,800 ft). Parochetus communis has been introduced to New Zealand, where it was first recorded in 1944.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Parochetus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
