238 LAURACE^. 



weeds in cultivated fields, with small, homely, mostly greenish flowers in 

 close panicled racemes. 



Rumex crispus Linne. — Curled Dock, Yellow Dock. 



Descrijifion. — Flowers in whorls, crowded in long, wand-like, leafless 

 racemes. Inner sepals cordate, obscurely denticulate or entire, and com- 

 monly bearing a grain-like tubercle on the back. 



A smooth perennial, with a deep, spindle-shaped, yellow root. Stem 

 erect, 2 to 4 feet high, with few commonly erect branches. Leaves curled 

 and wavy on the margins, lanceolate, acute, the lower truncate or obscurely 

 cordate at the base, the upper smaller, narrower, and gradually passing into 

 mere bracts. 



Habitat. — Natiu-alized from Europe ; common in cultivated and waste 

 grounds. 



Rumex orbiculatus Gray {R. aquaticus Fuvsh.'^) — Great Water-Dock. 



Description. — Flowers in whorls crowded in ujDright, almost leafless ra- 

 cemes, which are arranged in a large, comjDound panicle ; pedicels capillary, 

 nodding, about twice the length of the fruiting calyx ; inner sepals orbicu- 

 lar or round-ovate, obtuse, obscurely cordate at the base, membranaceous, 

 finely reticulated, entire or repand-denticulate, each of them bearing a 

 grain-like tubercle on the back. 



A smooth perennial, with a deep, yellow root. Stem stout, erect, 5 to 

 6 feet high. Leaves smooth, not wavy on the margins, oblong-lanceolate, 

 rather acute at both ends, the lowest, including the petiole, 1 to 2 feet 

 long. 



Habitat. — In wet places ; common, especially northward. 



Part Used. — The root of rumex crispus and of other species of rumex. 

 — United States Pharmacoj^oeia. Several other species may be emjDloyed, 

 but those above described sufficiently represent the medicinal properties 

 of the genus. 



Preparations. — Extractum rumicis fluidum ; fluid extract of rumex. — 

 United States Pharmacopoeia. It is also employed in the form of decoction 

 and syrup. 



Constituents. — Yellow dock closely resembles rhubarb in chemical com- 

 position, but is more astringent. 



Medical Proj^erties and Uses. — Yellow dock is tonic, astringent, and 

 slightly laxative. These propei'ties render it useful in a variety of chronic 

 affections, such as scrofula, obstinate cutaneous diseases, dyspepsia, syph- 

 ilis, etc., in which an alterative and depurative effect may be desired for a 

 long time. 



LAURACE^. 



Character of the Order. — Trees or shrubs with simple, alternate, exstip- 

 ulate, mostly pellucid-dotted leaves. Flowers often dioecious. Calyx of 

 4 or 6 sepals in two rows. Stamens 8 to 12, in two or more rows, the 



