518 RUMEX. [CLASS VI. OKDER III. 



Magillycuddy's Reeks, and Brandon Mountain, County of Kerry; 

 and on Ben Bulben, County of Sligo, Ireland. 

 Perennial ; flowering in July and August. 



The Mountain Sorrel is nearly allied to the plants of the following 

 genus, Rumex, and like them contains in its j uices considerable acidity ; 

 in this species it seems more abundant than any of its allies, and there 

 are but few persons who are accustomed to ramble and climb over the 

 places of its growth, who, fatigued with the labour and overcome with 

 thirst and heat, cannot testify to the grateful acidity of this plant, and 

 the refreshing juice with which it abounds. 



ORDER III. 



TRIGYN'IA. 3 Pistils. 



GENUS XXIII. RU'MEX.— Linn. Dock and Sorrel. 



Nat. Ord. Polygo'ne^. Juss. 



Gen. Char. Perianth of six pieces, the three outer ones somewhat 

 united at the base, the three inner becoming larger after flowering. 

 Stigmas tufted. Nuts with three sharp angles, enclosed in the 

 persistent perianth. — Name of doubtful origin. 

 * Plants not acid ; fioioers perfect ; styles free. (Lapathum Tour- 

 neford, Dock.) 

 a. Enlarged pieces of the perianth entire. 

 1. R. Hydo-ola'pathum, Hud. (Fig. 592.) Great Water Dock. En- 

 larged pieces of the perianth ovate, triangular, entire or toothed at the 

 base, each with a tubercle ; whorls mostly leafless ; leaves lanceolate, 

 acute at each end, the margins waved or crenated. 



Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 171. — English Flora, vol. ii. p. 

 195. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 211. — Rumex aquaticus, Poll. — English 

 Botany, t. 2104. 



Root large, fleshy, somewhat tuberous, with numerous long stout 

 haivy fibres. Stem erect, from four to six feet high, stout, obtusely 

 and irregularly angled, and furrowed, of reddish green, leafy, branched 

 upwards. Leaves alternate, from one to two feet long, narrow, lanceo- 

 late, tapering at both ends, but much more so at the base than the 

 point, on stout footstalks of variable lengths, quite smooth, of a some- 

 what glaucous green, the margins somewhat waved, and unevenly 

 crenated or crisped, the upper ones more so than the lower, narrower, 

 linear. Inflorescence a large terminal branched panicle, with nume- 



