Rumex maritimus |
Rumex spiralis |
|
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bristle dock, golden dock, maritime dock, rumex maritime |
spiral tall dock, wing 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, with creeping 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. |
ascending or erect, usually producing axillary shoots below 1st-order inflorescence or at proximal nodes, 50–90 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. |
blades ovate-lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, or lanceolate, 10–15 × 3–5.5 cm, usually 2.5–3.5 times as long as wide, widest in proximal 1/3, thick, usually not coriaceous, base broadly cuneate, truncate, or rounded, margins entire, flat or slightly undulate-crisped, apex acute or attenuate. |
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 and axillary, terminal usually occupying distal 1/2 of stem, dense, narrowly to broadly paniculate (branches usually simple). |
Pedicels | articulated near base or at least in proximal 1/3, filiform, 3–8 mm, articulation weakly evident. |
articulated in proximal 1/3, thin but slightly thickened distally, (2–)3–7(–8) mm, usually as long as or shorter than inner tepals, articulation slightly 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. |
12–20 in whorls; inner tepals broadly cordate or broadly ovate-deltoid, 7–10 × 8–12 mm, base deeply and broadly cordate, margins entire, apex acuminate; tubercles 3, equal or subequal, usually minutely to distinctly rugose. |
Achenes | light brown, small, 0.9–1.75 × 0.6–1 mm. |
brown or dark reddish brown, 2.5–3.5 × 2–2.5 mm. |
2n | = 40. |
= 20. |
Rumex maritimus |
Rumex spiralis |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer–early fall. | Flowering spring. |
Habitat | Alluvial, riparian, and coastal habitats, mostly as a ruderal species | Sandy and gravelly shores |
Elevation | 0-500 m (0-1600 ft) | 0-200 m (0-700 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; MA; NJ; YT; Europe [Introduced in North America]
|
TX |
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 spiralis is related to R. altissimus; however, it is geographically restricted and morphologically distinct. It has inner tepals larger than those of any other member of subsect. Salicifolii and distinctly wider leaves. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 529. | FNA vol. 5, p. 507. |
Parent taxa | Polygonaceae > subfam. Polygonoideae > Rumex > subg. Rumex > sect. Rumex | Polygonaceae > subfam. Polygonoideae > Rumex > subg. Rumex > sect. Axillares |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Lapathum minus, R. aureus | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 335. (1753) | Small: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 22: 44, plate 228. (1895) |
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