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cluster dock, cluster or cluster green dock, green dock, sharp dock

alpine dock, butter dock, monk's-rhubarb, munk's rhubarb

Habit Plants perennial, normally glabrous, rarely very indistinctly papillose on veins of leaf blades abaxially, with fusiform, vertical rootstock. Plants perennial, glabrous or minutely papillose-pubescent, with stout, creeping rhizome.
Stems

erect, branched in distal 2/3 (sometimes with few flowering stems from rootstock), 30–80(–120) cm.

erect, branched above middle, 60–100 cm.

Leaves

ocrea deciduous to partially persistent at maturity;

blade oblong-lanceolate, obovate-lanceolate, or lanceolate, normally (5–)10–30 × 2.5–6 cm, base broadly cuneate, rounded, or truncate, rarely subcordate, margins entire, flat to very weakly undulate, apex subacute, occasionally obtuse.

ocrea mostly deciduous or sometimes partially persistent at maturity;

blade usually ovate-orbiculate, sometimes orbiculate or broadly ovate, 20–40 × 20–35 cm, base deeply and widely cordate, margins entire, flat or slightly undulate, apex obtuse.

Inflorescences

terminal, occupying distal 2/3 of stem, lax, interrupted, broadly paniculate, branches simple or nearly so, almost all but distalmost whorls with subtending leaves;

panicle leafy at least in proximal 2/3 of length.

terminal, occupying distal 1/2 of stem, rather dense, widely paniculate to fusiform.

Pedicels

articulated in proximal 1/3 or occasionally near middle, filiform, 1–4(–5) mm, ca. as long as inner tepals or slightly longer, articulation distinctly swollen.

articulated at middle or in proximal 1/3, filiform, 3–9 mm, articulation distinctly swollen.

Flowers

10–20 in dense remote whorls;

inner tepals oblong-lanceolate, oblong, or lingulate, 2–3 × 1–1.6(–2) mm, ca. 2 times as long as wide, base cuneate or truncate, margins entire, apex obtuse;

tubercles 3, equal or subequal, largest tubercle almost as wide as inner tepal.

10–20 in whorls;

inner tepals ovate or ovate-triangular, 4–5(–6) × 3–5 mm, base truncate or slightly cordate, margins entire or subentire, apex obtuse or subobtuse;

tubercles absent.

Achenes

usually dark reddish brown, 1.5–1.8 × 1–1.4 mm.

brown to brownish green, 2.5–3.5 × 1–2 mm.

2n

= 20.

= 20.

Rumex conglomeratus

Rumex alpinus

Phenology Flowering early summer–early fall. Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Marshes, wet meadows, shores, alluvial woods, ditches, wet waste places Waste places: roadsides, old fields and gardens, disturbed meadows
Elevation 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft) 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MO; MS; NC; NY; OK; OR; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WA; WV; BC; Europe; w Asia; sw Asia; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced elsewhere]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ME; VT; NS; c Europe; s Europe; w Asia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Rumex conglomeratus often is confused with immature specimens of R. obtusifolius, as well as with other species (e.g., R. sanguineus). Its distribution in North America is insufficiently known, and some literature records may refer to R. obtusifolius.

Rumex conglomeratus and R. sanguineus were placed in subsect. Conglomerati Rechinger f. (K. H. Rechinger 1937).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Rumex alpinus belongs to subsect. Alpini Rechinger f. The name R. alpinus has been proposed for nomenclatural conservation (S. Cafferty and S. Snogerup 2000).

This species was first reported from North America in Nova Scotia (M. L. Fernald 1921; K. H. Rechinger 1937). It remains uncommon in the United States and Canada. Rumex alpinus never has been reported as being a serious invasive weed; however, it may persist at a site for a very long time. Previously, the species was cultivated widely, mostly for medicinal and veterinary purposes.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 524. FNA vol. 5, p. 517.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Polygonoideae > Rumex > subg. Rumex > sect. Rumex Polygonaceae > subfam. Polygonoideae > Rumex > subg. Rumex > sect. Rumex
Sibling taxa
R. acetosa, R. acetosella, R. alpinus, R. altissimus, R. arcticus, R. beringensis, R. britannica, R. brownii, R. bucephalophorus, R. californicus, R. chrysocarpus, R. confertus, R. crassus, R. crispus, R. cristatus, R. cuneifolius, R. densiflorus, R. dentatus, R. ellipticus, R. fascicularis, R. floridanus, R. fueginus, R. graminifolius, R. hastatulus, R. hesperius, R. hymenosepalus, R. kerneri, R. krausei, R. lacustris, R. lapponicus, R. longifolius, R. maritimus, R. mexicanus, R. nematopodus, R. obovatus, R. obtusifolius, R. occidentalis, R. orthoneurus, R. pallidus, R. palustris, R. paraguayensis, R. patientia, R. paucifolius, R. persicarioides, R. praecox, R. pseudonatronatus, R. pulcher, R. pycnanthus, R. salicifolius, R. sanguineus, R. sibiricus, R. spiralis, R. stenophyllus, R. subarcticus, R. thyrsiflorus, R. tomentellus, R. transitorius, R. triangulivalvis, R. utahensis, R. venosus, R. verticillatus, R. violascens
R. acetosa, R. acetosella, R. altissimus, R. arcticus, R. beringensis, R. britannica, R. brownii, R. bucephalophorus, R. californicus, R. chrysocarpus, R. confertus, R. conglomeratus, R. crassus, R. crispus, R. cristatus, R. cuneifolius, R. densiflorus, R. dentatus, R. ellipticus, R. fascicularis, R. floridanus, R. fueginus, R. graminifolius, R. hastatulus, R. hesperius, R. hymenosepalus, R. kerneri, R. krausei, R. lacustris, R. lapponicus, R. longifolius, R. maritimus, R. mexicanus, R. nematopodus, R. obovatus, R. obtusifolius, R. occidentalis, R. orthoneurus, R. pallidus, R. palustris, R. paraguayensis, R. patientia, R. paucifolius, R. persicarioides, R. praecox, R. pseudonatronatus, R. pulcher, R. pycnanthus, R. salicifolius, R. sanguineus, R. sibiricus, R. spiralis, R. stenophyllus, R. subarcticus, R. thyrsiflorus, R. tomentellus, R. transitorius, R. triangulivalvis, R. utahensis, R. venosus, R. verticillatus, R. violascens
Synonyms R. acutus
Name authority Murray: Prodr. Stirp. Gott., 52. (1770) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 334. (1753)
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