and coarsely veined, 3.5-4.5 mm. long, 3-4 mm. broad, triangular to rotund- 

 triangular, each one dorsomedially with a pronounced grain; infructescence often 

 crowded; achene 2.5-3 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm. broad. R. Berlandieri Meisn., R. 

 Langloisii Small. 



Abundant in low seasonally wet places, s.e. Tex. and Rio Grande Plains, less 

 frequent n. to n.-cen. Tex., Edwards Plateau and the Trans-Pecos, spring-summer; 

 La., Tex., Tam., Ver. and Michoac. 



8. Rumex mexicanus Meisn. 



Very similar to R. chrysocarpus but the inflorescences and infructescences 

 more crowded; leaves larger, thinner and much paler green and more acute; valves 

 2-5 mm long; achene only about 2 mm. long. R. triangulivalvis (Danser) Rech. f. 



Meadows and marsh areas, boggy soils, about playa lakes, ponds and in seepage 

 along streams, infrequent in El Paso Co., Tex., through N.M. (Dona Ana, Union, 

 San Miguel, Santa Fe, Taos and Rio Arriba cos.) to Ariz. (Coconino and Navajo 

 COS.), spring-summer; Que. to B.C., s. to Mo., w. Tex., N.M., Ariz., Calif, and 

 Mex. 



9. Rumex occidentals Wats. Western dock. 



Perennial from a stout taproot; stems usually simple, stout, erect, striated, 

 glabrous, 4-20 dm. tall, reddish or suffused with purple; petioles of lower leaves 

 from one third to nearly as long as the blade is wide, the blades from oblong- 

 triangular to ovate-triangular, 15-40 cm. long, 2 to 2.5 times as long as wide, 

 somewhat crisped on margins, cordate or subcordate at base, obtuse to acute at 

 apex; panicles dense, strict, smooth or puberulent, 3-6 dm. long, leafless or with 

 only a few small leaves below; pedicels 1 to 2 times as long as mature perianth, 

 obscurely articulate toward base; flowers perfect; valves round-ovate, 4-5 mm. 

 long and 5-6 mm. wide, rarely more, prominently reticulate-veined, subcordate, 

 the margins erose or denticulate, without callous grains (or rarely with one); 

 achene brown, smooth, shining, 2.5-3 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, acuminate at 

 both ends, slightly more so at apex. 



Bogs and marshes near fresh or brackish water, swamps, wet meadows and 

 water about lakes, pools and along streams, in N.M. (Socorro, Rio Arriba, Taos 

 and Catron cos.), June-Sept.; Que. to Yuk. and B.C., s. to N.M., Ariz, and Calif. 



10. Rumex crispus L. Yellow dock, sour dock, curly dock. Fig. 400. 



Coarse perennial; stems stout, erect, straight, without axillary branches, 5-15 

 dm. tall, from a deep taproot, glabrous, dark-bluish-green; lower leaves elliptical 

 to oblong-lanceolate, 1-3 dm. long, prominently undulate and crisped on margin, 

 cuneate at base, long-petioled. the upper smaller leaves all cordate or obtuse at 

 base; panicles usually strict, of elongate wandlike branches with few leaves, the 

 whorls usually dense and approximate; pedicels 1.5 to 2 times as long as the 

 mature perianth, articulate below middle; flowers perfect; valves about 5 mm. 

 long and 3—4 mm. wide, round-ovate, subcordate, the margin entire to scarcely 

 erose, all valves with a smooth oblong dorsomedial callous grain much narrower 

 than perianth margin, occasionally 1 or 2 valves naked; achene smooth, glossy 

 reddish-brown, acute, 2 mm. long. 



In shallow water of streams, about ponds and lakes and marshy areas, com- 

 monly in seasonally wet places, in Okla. (Comanche, Cimarron, Murray, McCur- 

 tain and Bryan cos.), n.-cen., e. and s.e. Tex. and on the Edwards Plateau and in 

 the Trans-Pecos, N.M. (widespread) and Ariz. (Navajo, Coconino, Mohave, 

 Yavapai, Maricopa, Cochise, Pinal, Gila and Santa Cruz cos.), Apr.— Sept.; a 

 Euras. weed, now widely adv. in temp, areas. 



802 



