Burke: Rumex crispus

	Rumex crispus
	curly dock, sour dock
Habit	Erect perennial from a taproot, the stem 5-10 dm. tall, unbranched below the inflorescence.
Leaves	Basal leaves with sheathing stipules and long petioles, the blade oblong-lanceolate, 1-3 dm. long and up to 5 cm. wide, rounded or wedge-shaped at the base; cauline leaves reduced upward; all leaves with irregularly curled margins.
Flowers	Inflorescence a large, compact panicle, the branches nearly erect, leafy-bracteate to mid-length; pedicels slender, 1.5-2 times as long as the flowers, with a swollen joint well below mid-length; flowers perfect; outer 3 perianth segments ascending, 1.5 mm. long; inner 3 segments deltoid-ovate with a truncate base, 4-5 mm. long, usually with an oblong, veiny and pitted lump at the base; styles 3.
Fruits	Achene 1.5-2 mm. long, smooth.

	Rumex crispus
Flowering time	June-September
Habitat	Meadows, fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed, open areas.
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. acetosella, R. conglomeratus, 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 crispus

curly dock, sour dock

Habit

Erect perennial from a taproot, the stem 5-10 dm. tall, unbranched below the inflorescence.

Leaves

Basal leaves with sheathing stipules and long petioles, the blade oblong-lanceolate, 1-3 dm. long and up to 5 cm. wide, rounded or wedge-shaped at the base;

cauline leaves reduced upward; all leaves with irregularly curled margins.

Flowers

Inflorescence a large, compact panicle, the branches nearly erect, leafy-bracteate to mid-length;

pedicels slender, 1.5-2 times as long as the flowers, with a swollen joint well below mid-length;

flowers perfect; outer 3 perianth segments ascending, 1.5 mm. long; inner 3 segments deltoid-ovate with a truncate base, 4-5 mm. long, usually with an oblong, veiny and pitted lump at the base;

styles 3.

Fruits

Achene 1.5-2 mm. long, smooth.