Burke: Rumex acetosella

	Rumex acetosella
	common sheep sorrel
Habit	Dioecious, glabrous perennial from widely spreading, slender rhizomes, the 1-several stems 2-3 dm. tall, unbranched below the inflorescence.
Leaves	Leaves with sheathing stipules, petiolate, numerous, highly variable, the blades 2-4 cm. long, linear to ovate, usually with spreading, basal, triangular lobes.
Flowers	Inflorescence an open, leafless, reddish, narrow panicle; flowers imperfect; pedicels slender, longer than the flowers, jointed immediately under the flower; perianth about 1 mm. long, erect, only slightly larger than the fruit and closely investing it; styles 3.
Fruits	Achene smooth.

	Rumex acetosella
Flowering time	May-August
Habitat	Balds, prairies, meadows, pastures, fields, roadsides, wastelots, lawns and other disturbed open areas from the lowlands to middle elevations in the mountains.
Distribution	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Introduced from Eurasia
Conservation status	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	R. acetosa, R. conglomeratus, R. crispus, R. dentatus, R. maritimus, R. obtusifolius, R. occidentalis, R. patientia, R. paucifolius, R. persicarioides, R. salicifolius, R. sanguineus, R. stenophyllus, R. venosus
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Rumex acetosella

common sheep sorrel

Habit

Dioecious, glabrous perennial from widely spreading, slender rhizomes, the 1-several stems 2-3 dm. tall, unbranched below the inflorescence.

Leaves

Leaves with sheathing stipules, petiolate, numerous, highly variable, the blades 2-4 cm. long, linear to ovate, usually with spreading, basal, triangular lobes.

Flowers

Inflorescence an open, leafless, reddish, narrow panicle;

flowers imperfect;

pedicels slender, longer than the flowers, jointed immediately under the flower;

perianth about 1 mm. long, erect, only slightly larger than the fruit and closely investing it;

styles 3.

Fruits

Achene smooth.

Rumex acetosella

Flowering time

May-August

Habitat

Balds, prairies, meadows, pastures, fields, roadsides, wastelots, lawns and other disturbed open areas from the lowlands to middle elevations in the mountains.

Distribution