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spiral tall dock, wing dock

cluster dock, cluster or cluster green dock, green dock, sharp dock

Habit Plants perennial, glabrous, with creeping rhizomes. Plants perennial, normally glabrous, rarely very indistinctly papillose on veins of leaf blades abaxially, with fusiform, vertical rootstock.
Stems

ascending or erect, usually producing axillary shoots below 1st-order inflorescence or at proximal nodes, 50–90 cm.

erect, branched in distal 2/3 (sometimes with few flowering stems from rootstock), 30–80(–120) cm.

Leaves

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.

ocrea deciduous to partially persistent at maturity;

blade oblong-lanceolate, obovate-lanceolate, or lanceolate, normally (5–)10–30 × 2.5–6 cm, base broadly cuneate, rounded, or truncate, rarely subcordate, margins entire, flat to very weakly undulate, apex subacute, occasionally obtuse.

Inflorescences

terminal and axillary, terminal usually occupying distal 1/2 of stem, dense, narrowly to broadly paniculate (branches usually simple).

terminal, occupying distal 2/3 of stem, lax, interrupted, broadly paniculate, branches simple or nearly so, almost all but distalmost whorls with subtending leaves;

panicle leafy at least in proximal 2/3 of length.

Pedicels

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.

articulated in proximal 1/3 or occasionally near middle, filiform, 1–4(–5) mm, ca. as long as inner tepals or slightly longer, articulation distinctly swollen.

Flowers

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.

10–20 in dense remote whorls;

inner tepals oblong-lanceolate, oblong, or lingulate, 2–3 × 1–1.6(–2) mm, ca. 2 times as long as wide, base cuneate or truncate, margins entire, apex obtuse;

tubercles 3, equal or subequal, largest tubercle almost as wide as inner tepal.

Achenes

brown or dark reddish brown, 2.5–3.5 × 2–2.5 mm.

usually dark reddish brown, 1.5–1.8 × 1–1.4 mm.

2n

= 20.

= 20.

Rumex spiralis

Rumex conglomeratus

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering early summer–early fall.
Habitat Sandy and gravelly shores Marshes, wet meadows, shores, alluvial woods, ditches, wet waste places
Elevation 0-200 m (0-700 ft) 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MO; MS; NC; NY; OK; OR; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WA; WV; BC; Europe; w Asia; sw Asia; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced elsewhere]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Rumex conglomeratus often is confused with immature specimens of R. obtusifolius, as well as with other species (e.g., R. sanguineus). Its distribution in North America is insufficiently known, and some literature records may refer to R. obtusifolius.

Rumex conglomeratus and R. sanguineus were placed in subsect. Conglomerati Rechinger f. (K. H. Rechinger 1937).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 507. FNA vol. 5, p. 524.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Polygonoideae > Rumex > subg. Rumex > sect. Axillares Polygonaceae > subfam. Polygonoideae > Rumex > subg. Rumex > sect. Rumex
Sibling taxa
R. acetosa, R. acetosella, R. alpinus, R. altissimus, R. arcticus, R. beringensis, R. britannica, R. brownii, R. bucephalophorus, R. californicus, R. chrysocarpus, R. confertus, R. conglomeratus, R. crassus, R. crispus, R. cristatus, R. cuneifolius, R. densiflorus, R. dentatus, R. ellipticus, R. fascicularis, R. floridanus, R. fueginus, R. graminifolius, R. hastatulus, R. hesperius, R. hymenosepalus, R. kerneri, R. krausei, R. lacustris, R. lapponicus, R. longifolius, R. maritimus, R. mexicanus, R. nematopodus, R. obovatus, R. obtusifolius, R. occidentalis, R. orthoneurus, R. pallidus, R. palustris, R. paraguayensis, R. patientia, R. paucifolius, R. persicarioides, R. praecox, R. pseudonatronatus, R. pulcher, R. pycnanthus, R. salicifolius, R. sanguineus, R. sibiricus, R. stenophyllus, R. subarcticus, R. thyrsiflorus, R. tomentellus, R. transitorius, R. triangulivalvis, R. utahensis, R. venosus, R. verticillatus, R. violascens
R. acetosa, R. acetosella, R. alpinus, R. altissimus, R. arcticus, R. beringensis, R. britannica, R. brownii, R. bucephalophorus, R. californicus, R. chrysocarpus, R. confertus, R. crassus, R. crispus, R. cristatus, R. cuneifolius, R. densiflorus, R. dentatus, R. ellipticus, R. fascicularis, R. floridanus, R. fueginus, R. graminifolius, R. hastatulus, R. hesperius, R. hymenosepalus, R. kerneri, R. krausei, R. lacustris, R. lapponicus, R. longifolius, R. maritimus, R. mexicanus, R. nematopodus, R. obovatus, R. obtusifolius, R. occidentalis, R. orthoneurus, R. pallidus, R. palustris, R. paraguayensis, R. patientia, R. paucifolius, R. persicarioides, R. praecox, R. pseudonatronatus, R. pulcher, R. pycnanthus, R. salicifolius, R. sanguineus, R. sibiricus, R. spiralis, R. stenophyllus, R. subarcticus, R. thyrsiflorus, R. tomentellus, R. transitorius, R. triangulivalvis, R. utahensis, R. venosus, R. verticillatus, R. violascens
Synonyms R. acutus
Name authority Small: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 22: 44, plate 228. (1895) Murray: Prodr. Stirp. Gott., 52. (1770)
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