Rumex crispus
Rumex pallidus
curled dock, curly dock, patience crépue, reguette, rumex crépu, sour dock, yellow dock
seabeach dock, seaside dock, seaside or pale willow dock
erect, branched distal to middle, 40–100(–150) cm.
ascending or erect occasionally almost procumbent, usually producing axillary shoots below 1st-order inflorescence or at proximal nodes, 30–60(–80) 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, 10–20(–22) × 1–3.5(–4.5) mm, usually ca. 7–10 times as long as wide, widest near middle, thick, coriaceous, base cuneate, margins entire, flat or slightly undulate, apex acute.
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, rather dense or interrupted in proximal 1/2, usually broadly paniculate (distal branches simple, proximal ones usually 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, 4–6 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.
10–20 in whorls;
inner tepals, broadly ovate-triangular or almost deltoid, occasionally broadly triangular, (2.5–)3–4 × 2–3.5 mm, base truncate or round, occasionally indistinctly cordate, margins entire or indistinctly erose, apex obtuse or subacute;
tubercles 3, equal or subequal, all tubercles, or at least largest tubercle pale, subequal to inner tepals or slightly narrower than inner tepals, often minutely verrucose.
usually reddish brown, 2–3 × 1.5–2 mm.
brown or dark reddish brown, 2–3 × 1–1.5 mm.
= 60.
= 20.
Rumex crispus
Rumex pallidus
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 pallidus is restricted to northeastern North America. Specimens with more “strict habit, larger leaves, and more erect fruiting branches” reported by K. H. Rechinger (1937) from Alaska and Yukon as this species belong instead to R. sibiricus (E. Hultén 1941–1950, vol. 4). Those species, as well as R. subarcticus and R. hultenii Tzvelev, represent a rather natural northern group of the R. salicifolius aggregate. The hybrid R. pallidus × R. triangulivalvis was reported from the western part of New York (R. S. Mitchell 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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