Rumex mexicanus
Rumex alpinus
Mexican dock, Mexican willow, Mexican willow or dock
alpine dock, butter dock, monk's-rhubarb, munk's rhubarb
erect or ascending, usually producing axillary shoots below 1st-order inflorescence or at proximal nodes, 30–60(–90) cm.
erect, branched above middle, 60–100 cm.
blades light green to yellowish green, linear-lanceolate, occasionally lanceolate, 6–14 × 1–3.5(–4) cm, usually ca. 5–7 times as long as wide, widest near middle, thin, not coriaceous, base cuneate, margins entire, flat or undulate, apex acute or attenuate.
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 and axillary, terminal usually occupying distal 1/5–1/3 of stem, rather dense or interrupted in proximal 1/2, usually broadly paniculate (branches simple or with few 2d-order branches).
terminal, occupying distal 1/2 of stem, rather dense, widely paniculate to fusiform.
articulated in proximal 1/3 or almost near base, filiform (thickened distally), 4–7 mm, not more than 2–2.5 times as long as inner tepals, articulation indistinctly swollen.
articulated at middle or in proximal 1/3, filiform, 3–9 mm, articulation distinctly swollen.
10–20 in whorls;
inner tepals broadly ovate-triangular, occasionally broadly triangular, 3.5–4.5(–5) × 3.5–4(–5) mm, base truncate or indistinctly cordate, margins entire or indistinctly erose, apex obtuse or subacute;
tubercles 3, equal or subequal (much narrower than inner tepals).
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 reddish brown, 2–3 × 1.5–2 mm.
brown to brownish green, 2.5–3.5 × 1–2 mm.
= 40.
= 20.
Rumex mexicanus
Rumex alpinus
Some authors recognize Rumex mexicanus in the broad sense, including in it many other taxa treated here as separate entities. For consistency, the entities of the R. salicifolius aggregate that are recognized herein are kept separate pending additional taxonomic research.
(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.)
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
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