284 WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Fr. Patience frisee. Germ. Krauser Ampfer. 



Root rather large, fusiform, yellow. Stem 2- 3 or 4 feet high, angular-sulcate, smooth- 

 ish, paniculately branched above, Radical leaves 8-12 or 15 inches long, and 1 -2 or 3 

 inches wide ; petioles 2-4 inches long ; the stem-leaves smaller, linear-lanceolate. Flowers 

 in crowded verticillate fascicles, with scarious involucres at base. Calyx green ; inner 

 sepals much larger than the outer ones, entire or obsoletoly denticulate near the base, 

 each with an ovoid acuminate excrescence, or grain, on the back. 



Moist grounds; meadows, &c.: introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. May -July. Fr. 

 July - September. 



Obs. The radical leaves of this are often used as a pot-herb, or early 

 " greens ; " but the plant is an unsightly and troublesome weed, and 

 has become so extensively naturalized as to require a vigilant attention 

 to keep it in due subjection. 



** Inner sepals dentate, one principally graniferous. 



2. R. obtusifo'lius, L. Kadical leaves subcordate-oblong, obtuse, crenu- 

 late ; verticils loose and rather distant. 



OBTUSE-LEAVED RUMEX. Bitter Dock. Broad-leaved Dock. 



Root thickish, branching, brown externally, yellow within. Stem 2-4 feet high, angu- 

 lar-sulcate, roughish, paniculately branched. Radical leaves 8-12 inches long, and 4- 6 

 inches wide ; petioles 3-6 inches long. Flowers in interrupted verticillate fascicles. Calyx 

 green, the inner sepals with long acute teeth near the base, and one of them bearing a 

 large grain on the back. 



Grass lots ; gardens, meadows, &c.: introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. June -July. 

 Fr. August -September. 



06s. This species is even more worthless than the preceding ; but 

 although completely naturalized it is not quite so prevalent. The 

 presence of either imparts a very slovenly appearance to a meadow or 

 pasture lot. 



g 2. Flowers dicecious : herbage acid. 



3. R. ACETOS'ELLA, L. Leaves lanceolate-hastate, the lobes acute, 

 spreading ; inner sepals entire. 



Sheep Sorrel. Field Sorrel. 



Fr. Petite Oscille. Germ. Der Sauer Ampfer. Span. Acederilla. 



StemQ 12 or 15 inches high, slender, branching, somewhat angular and furrowed. 

 Leaves 1-2 inches long, the lower ones mostly all hastate and on petioles as long or longer 

 than the leaves the upper ones on short petioles, and sometimes not hastate. Flowers in 

 paniculate racemes, finally becoming purple, the verticils 6 - 8-flowered. Pistillate 

 plants mostly taller than the staminato. 



Sandy fields and pastures ; about old stumps, &c. : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. 

 May. Fr. August. 



Obs. This little species (well known for its acidity,) is often so abun- 

 dant as to be a nuisance on the farm. Improving the land especially 

 by adequate dressings of Lime is believed to be the best mode of ex- 

 pelling this, as well as many other obnoxious plants 



4. RHE'UM, L. RHUBARB. 



[From Rha, the ancient name of the river Volga, its native region.] 



Calyx'of 6 sepals, in a double series, persistent and shrivelling. Stamens 

 9, arranged in pairs opposite the outer sepals, and singly opposite the 



