Rumex crispus
Rumex californicus
curled dock, curly dock, patience crépue, reguette, rumex crépu, sour dock, yellow dock
California dock, California willow dock, tooth willow dock
erect, branched distal to middle, 40–100(–150) cm.
usually ascending, rarely decumbent-ascending or suberect, usually producing axillary shoots below 1st-order inflorescence or at proximal nodes, 30–60 cm.
ocrea deciduous, rarely partially persistent at maturity;
blade lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate or lanceolate-linear, normally 15–30(–35) × 2–6 cm, base cuneate, truncate, or weakly cordate, margins entire to subentire, strongly crisped and undulate, apex acute.
blades linear-lanceolate or linear-oblanceolate, 5–10 × 1–3 cm, usually ca. (3–)5–7 times as long as wide, usually widest near middle, thin or, occasionally, subcoriaceous, base cuneate, margins entire, flat or, occasionally, undulate near base, apex acute or attenuate.
terminal, occupying distal 1/2 of stem, dense or interrupted at base, narrowly to broadly paniculate, branches usually straight or arcuate.
terminal and axillary, terminal usually occupying distal 1/5–1/3 of stem, lax, interrupted at least in proximal 1/2, usually broadly paniculate (branches simple or with few 2d-order branches).
articulated in proximal 1/3, filiform, (3–)4–8 mm, articulation distinctly swollen.
articulated in proximal 1/3 or almost near base, filiform, 3–8 mm, not more than 2–2.5 times as long as inner tepals, articulation indistinctly swollen.
10–25 in whorls;
inner tepals orbiculate-ovate or ovate-deltoid, 3.5–6 × 3–5 mm, base truncate or subcordate, margins entire or subentire to very weakly erose, flat, apex obtuse or subacute;
tubercles normally 3, rarely 1 or 2, unequal, at least 1 distinctly larger, more than (1–)1.5 mm wide.
10–15(–20) in whorls;
inner tepals usually broadly triangular or deltoid, 2.5–3.5 × 2.2–3.3 mm, base truncate, margins minutely but distinctly denticulate, rarely subentire, apex obtuse or subacute;
tubercles absent, or only 1 midvein slightly swollen.
usually reddish brown, 2–3 × 1.5–2 mm.
brown or dark reddish brown, 2 × 1.3 mm.
= 60.
= 20.
Rumex crispus
Rumex californicus
Rumex crispus (belonging to subsect. Crispi Rechinger f.; see K. H. Rechinger 1937) is the most widespread and ecologically successful species of the genus, occuring almost worldwide as a completely naturalized and sometimes invasive alien. It has not been reported from Greenland, but it probably occurs there.
Rumex crispus hybridizes with many other species of subg. Rumex. Hybrids with R. obtusifolius (Rumex ×pratensis Mertens & Koch) are the most common in the genus, at least in Europe, and have been reported for several localities in North America. Rumex crispus × R. patientia (Rumex ×confusus Simonkai) was reported from New York. According to R. S. Mitchell (1986, p. 47), “this hybrid is now spreading along highway shoulders, and it has replaced R. crispus in some local areas.” However, that information should be confirmed by more detailed studies since spontaneous hybrids between species of sect. Rumex usually are much less fertile and ecologically successful than the parental species. Hybrids of Rumex occuring in North America need careful revision.
Numerous infraspecific taxa and even segregate species have been described in the Rumex crispus aggregate. Many seem to represent minor variation of little or no taxonomic significance, but some are geographically delimited entities that may deserve recognition as subspecies or varieties. The typical variety has inner tepals with three well-developed tubercles; the less common var. unicallosus Petermann, with one tubercle, occurs sporadically in North America.
Some eastern Asian plants differ from typical Rumex crispus is having somewhat smaller inner tepals, longer pedicels, lax inflorescences with remote whorls, and narrower leaves that are almost flat or indistinctly undulate at the margins. These plants, originally described as R. fauriei Rechinger f., are now treated as R. crispus subsp. fauriei (Rechinger f.) Mosyakin & W. L. Wagner; the subspecies was recently reported from Hawaii (S. L. Mosyakin and W. L. Wagner 1998) and may be expected as introduced in western North America.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Rumex californicus is closely related to and often is regarded as a variety of R. salicifolius.
In Oregon this species has been reported only as a ballast waif in the Albina neighborhood of Portland (K. H. Rechinger 1937). It has been reported also from northeastern Nevada (J. T. Kartesz 1987, vol. 1), New Mexico (W. C. Martin and C. R. Hutchins 1980), and Wyoming (N. M. Sarkar 1958), but these records require confirmation.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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- Encyclopedia of Life
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