14 
flowers. The leaves are lance shaped, acute, with the margins strongly 
waved and crisped. The lower leayes are obtuse or heart shaped at 
the base, from 6 to 8 inches in length, and are borne on long stalks, 
while those nearer the top are narrower and shorter, being only 3 to 6 
inches long, on short stems or stemless. 
From June to August the yellow dock puts forth, interspersed with 
leaves, its many long dense clusters of green, drooping groups of 
inconspicuous flowers placed in circles around the stem. 
Broad-leaved Dock. 
Rumex obtusifolius L. 
Other common names.—Bitter dock, common dock, blunt-leaved dock, 
butter dock. (Fig. 6.) 
x an a Wh itd ak ee Sal 
Fic. 6.—Broad-leaved dock (Rumezx obtusifolius L.). First year’s growth. 
__ Range and habitat.—The range of this very common weed extends 
from the New England States to Oregon and south to Florida and 
Texas; it occurs in waste places. 
Description.— Broad-leaved dock differs from the yellow dock prin- 
cipally in its more robust habit of growth. It grows to about the 
same height, but its stem is stouter, and the leaves, which are wavy 
along the margin as in the yellow dock, are much broader and longer. 
The lower leaves have long stalks, and are from 6 to 14 inches in 
length, with heart-shaped or roundish bases, while the upper ones are 
from 2 to 6 inches long and are on short stalks. 
The green flowers appear from June to August, and are in rather 
long, open clusters, the groups rather loose and far apart. In all of 
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