Rumex POLYGONACEAE 405 



Achenes much exserted; plants erect, with triangular-hastate leaves 



2202. Fagopyrum, p. 418. 



Flowers solitary in the bracts, rose color; stamens 8; leaves linear 



2203. POLYGONELLA, p. 418. 



2195. RUMEX L. Docks and Sorrels 



[Rechinger, K. H., Jr. The North American species of Rumex. Field Mus. 

 Nat. Hist. Publ. Bot. Ser. 17 : 1-151. 1937.] 



Leaves hastate; flowers dioecious; plants generally less than 5 dm high. 



Achene much exserted from the scarcely changed calyx 1. R. Acetosella. 



Achene enclosed by the inner calyx lobes (valves). (See excluded species no. 192, 



p. 1042.) R- hastatulus. 



Leaves not hastate; flowers not dioecious; plants generally more than 5 dm high. 

 Inner sepals (valves) entire, crenate or denticulate. 



Number of valves of fruits bearing a tubercle generally 1, these mixed more or less 

 with fruits with 2 valves bearing a tubercle. 

 Leaves flat, green, tapering at the base ; valves usually bearing only one tubercle. 



2. R. altissimus. 



Leaves wavy, generally with red veins, cordate or subcordate at the base. (See 



excluded species no. 195, p. 1042.) R. sanguineus. 



Number of valves of fruits bearing a tubercle generally 3, these mixed more or 

 less with fruits with only 2 valves bearing a tubercle. 

 Leaves flat, light green. 



Pedicels enlarged upward, more than twice as long as the fruit, not con- 

 spicuously enlarged at the joint; fruit maturing the last of June and first 



of July 3. R. vertidllatus. 



Pedicels not enlarged upward, not twice as long as the fruit 



4. R. triangulivalvis. 



Leaves wavy-margined or crisped, dark green. 



Mature valves less than 2 mm wide. (See excluded species no. 190, p. 1041.) . . 



R. conglomeratus. 



Mature valves more than 2 mm wide. 



Plants very tall, mostly 1.2-2.5 m high; median leaves generally more than 

 4 cm wide, narrowed at the base; pedicel longer than the fruit, the joint 

 not conspicuously enlarged; fruit maturing in September and October. . 



5. R. Britannioa. 



Plants mostly less than 1 m high; leaves rounded or cordate at the base, 

 the median ones less than 5 cm wide; pedicel about as long as the 

 fruit, conspicuously swollen at the joint; fruit maturing mostly in 



June and July 6. R. crispus. 



Inner sepals or valves spinulose-dentate or pinnatifid 7. R. obtusifolius. 



1. Rumex Acetosella L. Field Sorrel. Map 825. An abundant weed 

 in some cultivated fields. Its presence is usually indicative of impoverished 

 and minimacid soils. In the sandy areas of the northwestern part of the 

 state it is an obnoxious weed, covering sometimes whole fields. It is some- 

 what frequent in the entire northern part of the state, rare in the central, 

 and frequent in the southern part. 



Nat. of Eu. Throughout temperate N. A. 



2. Rumex altissimus Wood. Pale Dock. Map 826. Infrequent to fre- 

 quent throughout the state in low ground along streams and in low ground 

 elsewhere. 



