Erect plant up to 20cm with many unbranched stems produced from a compound bulb with is often gummy. Leaves and flowers attached to stem in a dense tuft at the top. Leaf stalks are slightly hairy 10-50mm long. Leaves divided into 5 thread-like folded leaflets (as opposed to Oxalis polyphylla var. polyphylla which has 3 leaflets). Bears rose, lilac or white flowers with a yellow tube and often slightly darker margins; hairy sepals often have 2 orange dots at the tips.

Greek: penta = five, phyllon = a leaf; referring to the leaf which is divided into 5 or sometimes 7 leaflets.