Rumex maritimus |
Rumex confertus |
|
---|---|---|
bristle dock, golden dock, maritime dock, rumex maritime |
Asiatic dock, Russian dock |
|
Habit | Plants annual, rarely biennial [perennial], glabrous or very weakly short-papillose, mostly in inflorescence and on leaf blades, with fusiform, vertical rootstock. | Plants perennial, glabrous or weakly papillose-pubescent especially when young, with fusiform, vertical to oblique rootstock or short rhizomes. |
Stems | erect (some dwarf alluvial forms may be ascending or almost prostrate), branched in distal 2/3, occasionally almost near base, (5–)15–75(–100) cm. |
erect, branched above middle, 50–100(–130) cm. |
Leaves | ocrea deciduous to partially persistent at maturity; blade lanceolate or lanceolate-linear, rarely oblong-lanceolate, usually very gradually narrowed at both ends, (4–)7–25(–40) × (1–)1.5–4(–5) cm, at least 4 times as long as wide, base narrowly cuneate, very rarely broadly cuneate, margins entire, flat or rarely weakly undulate, apex acute, very rarely subobtuse. |
ocrea mostly deciduous or rarely partially persistent at maturity; blade ovate-triangular, broadly ovate, or ovate-elliptic, 20–30 × 15–25 cm, base deeply and broadly cordate, margins entire to obscurely repand, usually slightly crisped or undulate, apex obtuse to subacute. |
Inflorescences | terminal, occupying distal 1/2 of stem, occasionally most of stem, golden or greenish yellow, usually rather dense or interrupted in proximal part, broadly paniculate, branches spreading. |
terminal, occupying distal 1/2 of stem (branches often slightly arcuate at base), rather dense, widely paniculate. |
Pedicels | articulated near base or at least in proximal 1/3, filiform, 3–8 mm, articulation weakly evident. |
articulated in proximal 1/3, filiform, 4–10 mm, articulation distinctly swollen. |
Flowers | 15–30 (occasionally more) in rather dense whorls; inner tepals narrowly triangular or narrowly rhombic-triangular, 2.5–3(–3.5) × 0.75–1.2(–1.5) mm (excluding teeth), normally ca. 2 times as long as wide, base truncate or broadly cuneate, margins prominently dentate, apex acute, very rarely subacute, straight, teeth 2–3(–4), normally at each side of margins, subulate-filiform, bristlelike, 1–3.5 mm, usually 1.5–2 times as long as width of inner tepals; tubercles 3, equal or subequal, apex acute or subacute, smooth. |
15–30 in whorls; inner tepals orbiculate-reniform or broadly scutate, 6–9 × 6–11 mm, as long as wide or nearly so, base cordate to subcordate, margins entire or subentire, occasionally irregularly erose near base, apex abruptly acute to acute; tubercles usually 1, small, 1–2 mm, normally less than 2 times as wide as inner tepals, rarely absent or indistinct. |
Achenes | light brown, small, 0.9–1.75 × 0.6–1 mm. |
reddish brown, 3–3.5 × 1.7–2.5 mm. |
2n | = 40. |
=40. |
Rumex maritimus |
Rumex confertus |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer–early fall. | Flowering late spring–summer. |
Habitat | Alluvial, riparian, and coastal habitats, mostly as a ruderal species | Roadsides, waste places, meadows, river valleys |
Elevation | 0-500 m (0-1600 ft) | 300-700 m (1000-2300 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; MA; NJ; YT; Europe [Introduced in North America]
|
ND; AB; MB; e Europe; ec Europe; w Asia (the Caucasus, Siberia) [Introduced in North America; introduced elsewhere] |
Discussion | This Eurasian species is known as a casual alien from several localities in North America. Its distribution is poorly known due to confusion with native American species of this aggregate. Plants from Alaska and Yukon reported by E. Hultén (1968) as Rumex maritimus need additional study; they may be conspecific with some eastern Asian races of the R. maritimus aggregate. It is rare or almost absent in eastern Asia, where it is replaced by closely related taxa. Species of the Rumex maritimus aggregate can be placed in a separate subsection Maritimi Rechinger f. (K. H. Rechinger 1937) or even section Orientales A. I. Baranov & B. V. Skvortzov (see A. E. Borodina 1977). In addition to characters mentioned in the key and descriptions, additional distinctive features of Rumex maritimus are the smooth tubercles (occasionally finely striate or indistinctly pitted in herbarium specimens), and golden yellow or greenish yellow mature inflorescences. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Rumex confertus was placed in subsect. Conferti Rechinger f. This species is common and ecologically successful in central and eastern Europe; it may be expected elsewhere in temperate regions of North America. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 529. | 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 | ||
Synonyms | Lapathum minus, R. aureus | R. alpinus var. subcalligerus |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 335. (1753) | Willdenow: Enum. Pl., 397. (1809) |
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