Violet Wood Sorrel (Oxalis violacea)

Low, colonial, stemless perennial, 4-8" tall, from a bulbous base and slender stolongs. Leaves: basal, smooth, trifoliolate; leaflets 0.25-0.5" long, notched at the tip, tinged with purple on the backside. Flowers: purple to pink to white, 5 petals, 0.4-0.7" long, each sepal has an orange gland at the tip; several flowers in umbel-like clusters on stalks 4-8" tall that extend well beyond the leaves. 

Bloom time: April - June.

Where found: in dry woods, rocky places, pinelands, and barrens throughout most of the eastern U.S. and TN.
Common. 

Notes: This plant arises from rose-colored underground bulbs. A thin, icicle-like water storage organ may lie beneath the bulbs. Wood sorrels are also known as "wild shamrocks".