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 (ocrese) ; flowers numerous, small, greenish, 

 perfect, polygamous, or dioecious, in simple or comi^ound racemes or paniculate; 

 inner sepals (valves) becoming enlarged in fruit, persistent. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



1. R. acetosella. 



2. R. hymenosepalus. 



Plants low, 10 to 30 cm. high, slender, dioecious; leaves 



hastate 



Plants taller, 30 to 60 cm. liigh, stout, polygamous or monoe- 

 cious; leaves never hastate. 

 Inner sepals (valves) much enlarged in fruit, 10 to 15 mm. 



long and broad, mostly reddish 



"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 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 5. R. crisjms. 



Leaves flat. 



Leaves elliptic-lanceolate or broader; 

 valves ovate, usually only one 



bearing a callosity 6. R. altissimiis. 



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. brifannica. 



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. ohtusifolius. 



Annual; leaves much smaller, 10 to 15 cm. 

 long, narrowly oblong-lanceolate, 

 • truncate or rounded at the base ... 10. R persicarioides. 



Rumex berlandieri should come into New Mexico; we have seen specimens from El 

 Paso, Texas. 



1. Rumex acetosella L. Sp. PI. 338. 1753. Sheep sorrel. 

 Type locality: "Habitat in Europae pascuis & arvis arenosis." 



Range: 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. S. & Mex. Bound. Bot. 177. 1859. Canaigre. 

 Type locality: "Sandy soils from El Paso to the Canyons of the Rio Grande." 

 Range: Western Texas to New Mexico and Arizona, and northern Mexico. 



