WOOTON AND STANDLEY—FLORA OF NEW MEXICO. 191 
3. RUMEX L. Dock. 
Coarse perennial herbs with leafy stems (usually most of the leaves basal); stipules 
united to form more or less hyaline sheaths (ocrez); flowers numerous, small, greenish, 
perfect, polygamous, or dicecious, in simple or compound racemes or paniculate; 
inner sepals (valves) becoming enlarged in fruit, persistent. 
KEY TO THE SPECIES. 
Plants low, 10 to 30 cm. high, slender, dicecious; leaves 
hastate. 2... ee eee eee eee 1. R. acetosella. 
Plants taller, 30 to 60 cm. high, stout, polygamous or mone- 
cious; leaves never hastate. 
Inner sepals (valves) much enlarged in fruit, 10 to 15 mm. 
long and broad, mostly reddish. .................- 2. R. hymenosepalus. 
Valves of medium size, less than 10 mm, long, greenish or 
brown. 
Valves without callosities on the back. 
Leaves large, 50 cm. long or less, ovate or oblong- 
ovate, cordate. ............... 2. eee cece eee 3. R. occidentalis. 
Leaves small, 10 cm. long or less, narrowly elliptic- 
lanceolate, attenuate at the base.......... 7. R. ellipticus. 
One or more of the valves bearing callosities on the 
back. 
Valves entire or nearly so. 
Leaves crispate........-----------+- eens eee 5. R. crispus. 
Leaves flat. 
Leaves elliptic-lanceolate or broader; 
valves ovate, usually only one 
bearing a callosity............... 6. R. altissimus, 
Leaves narrowly oblong-lanceolate; valves 
triangular-ovate, usually all three 
bearing callosities................. 8. R. mexicanus. 
Valves distinctly dentate. 
Teeth of the valves broadly triangular, the 
teeth 2 or 3 times as long as broad...... 4, R. britannica. 
Teeth of wings long and narrow, as long as 
broad or much longer. 
Perennial; leaves large, 30 cm. long or 
more, oblong to ovate, cordate... .. 9. R. obtusifolius. 
Annual; leaves much smaller, 10 to 15 cm. 
long, narrowly oblong-lanceolate, 
truncate or rounded at the base ... 10. R persicariondes. 
Rumez: berlandieri should come into New Mexico; we have seen specimens from El 
Paso, Texas. 
1. Rumex acetosella L. Sp. Pl. 338. 1753. SHEEP SORREL, 
Tyre Locairy: ‘‘Habitat in Europae pascuis & arvis arenosis.”’ 
Rance: A native of Europe, introduced into many parts of the United States as a 
field weed. 
New Mexico: Harveys Upper Ranch; Gallinas Planting Station; Sandia Mountains. 
2. Rumex hymenosepalus Torr. U. 8. & Mex. Bound. Bot. 177. 1859. CANAIGRE. 
Tyr Locauiry: ‘‘Sandy soils from El Paso to the Canyons of the Rio Grande.” 
Rance: Western Texas to New Mexico and Arizona, and northern Mexico. 
