Rumex conglomeratus
Rumex graminifolius
cluster dock, cluster or cluster green dock, green dock, sharp dock
grass-leaf sorrel
erect, branched in distal 2/3 (sometimes with few flowering stems from rootstock), 30–80(–120) cm.
erect or ascending, rarely almost prostrate, branched at base and in distal 1/2 (in inflorescence), 7–30(–40) cm;
shoots not crowded, ± elongated.
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 whitish or silvery, membranous;
blade normally narrowly linear, or occasionally linear-lanceolate, usually not hastate, rarely some with indistinct basal lobes, 3–10 × 0.1–0.2(–0.4) cm, base narrowly cuneate, margins entire, flat or occasionally slightly revolute, apex acute or obtuse.
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 2/3 of stem, usually lax and interrupted to top, paniculate, with branches often reflexed.
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.
1–4 mm.
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.
(3–)4–6(–8) in whorls;
inner tepals distinctly enlarged, normally 2–2.6 × 1.5–2(–2.2) mm (free wing 0.3–0.5 mm wide), base cuneate, apex obtuse or subacute.
usually dark reddish brown, 1.5–1.8 × 1–1.4 mm.
brown or yellowish brown, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm.
= 20.
= 56.
Rumex conglomeratus
Rumex graminifolius
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.)
Records of Rumex graminifolius from Alaska in most cases refer to R. beringensis and R. krausei. The occurrence of typical R. graminifolius in northwestern North America remains uncertain. Some literature records of R. acetosella from northeastern North America (Greenland, Labrador, Newfoundland) may refer to R. graminifolius or R. acetosella subsp. arenicola. Rumex graminifolius was reported from Newfoundland also by M. L. Fernald (1950), but that record requires confirmation.
Some plants from northeastern Eurasia (northeastern Russian Far East and northern Siberia) are known in Russian literature as Rumex aureostigmaticus Komarov [Acetosella aureostigmatica (Komarov) Tzvelev], R. acetosella var. subspathulatus Trautvetter, or R. graminifolius var. subspathulatus (Trautvetter) Tolmatchew (see A. I. Tolmachew 1966; N. N. Tzvelev 1989b). They differ from R. graminifolius in having narrower inner tepals and wider spatulate leaves, usually without basal lobes. I have seen only one North American collection approaching this entity. Some specimens (mostly immature or staminate plants) from western Alaska differ from both R. graminifolius and R. beringensis in their habit; they need additional study. Some chromosome counts different from the most typical number (2n = 56) that have been reported for R. graminifolius in the broad sense from northeastern Russian Far East by several Russian authors (see references in Tzvelev) most probably also refer to R. aureostigmaticus. It is also possible that arctic and subarctic plants identified by various authors as R. aureostigmaticus, R. acetosella var. subspathulatus, R. graminifolius var. subspathulatus, and R. acetosella subsp. arenicola belong to one polymorphic complex of plants intermediate between R. acetosella and R. graminifolius.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
IL Wildflowers, 
LA Plants, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
