Rumex hastatulus
Rumex alpinus
heartwing dock, heartwing sorrel, wild dock, wild sorrel
alpine dock, butter dock, monk's-rhubarb, munk's rhubarb
solitary or several from base, erect or ascending, branched in distal 2/3 (in inflorescence), 10–40(–45) cm.
erect, branched above middle, 60–100 cm.
blade obovate-oblong, ovate-lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, or lanceolate; 2–6(–10) × 0.5–2 cm, base hastate (with spreading lobes), auriculate, or occasionally without evident lobes, margins entire, flat, apex obtuse or subacute.
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.
terminal, occupying distal 2/3 of stem, usually lax and interrupted, narrowly paniculate.
terminal, occupying distal 1/2 of stem, rather dense, widely paniculate to fusiform.
articulated in proximal part, filiform, 1.5–2.5(–3) mm, articulation indistinct or slightly swollen.
articulated at middle or in proximal 1/3, filiform, 3–9 mm, articulation distinctly swollen.
3–6(–8) in whorls;
inner tepals orbiculate or broadly ovate, 2.5–3.2 × 2.7–3.2 mm, base broadly cordate or rounded, apex obtuse or subacute;
tubercles absent or some inner tepals with slightly swollen central veins.
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.
brown or dark brown, 0.9–1.2 × 0.6–0.8 mm.
brown to brownish green, 2.5–3.5 × 1–2 mm.
= 8 (pistillate plants), 9 (staminate plants), 10 (both sexes).
= 20.
Rumex hastatulus
Rumex alpinus
Rumex hastatulus is distinct in subg. Acetosa and belongs to the monotypic subsect. Americanae Á. Löve & N. Sarkar. It is represented by at least two chromosome races: populations occurring from North Carolina to Florida and Mississippi normally have 2n = 8 in pistillate plants and 2n = 9 in staminate plants; populations from Louisiana to Texas and Oklahoma predominantly have 2n = 10 in both sexes. Rumex hastatulus has been reported from New Mexico (W. C. Martin and C. R. Hutchins 1980, vol. 1), but those records need confirmation. When fruiting, R. hastatulus has large inner tepals that distinguish it from R. acetosella, with which it is occasionally confused.
(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.)
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