354 FLORA. 



as long as the blades <>r shorter; scapes erect, 1-4 dm. tall, sometimes branched at 

 the base, topped by trichotomous compound cymes; involucres turbinate-campanu- 

 late, 1-2 mm. high, solitary on deflexed peduncles, the teeth obtuse; calyx white 

 or pinkish, 1 1.5 nun. long, the outer segments broadly obovate, often becoming 

 fiddle shaped, the inner smaller; filaments glabrous ; achenes about 1 mm. long, 

 with a globose base and rough angles. In dry soil, Neb. to Wyo. and Ore., south 

 to N. Mex. and Ariz. Summer and fall. 



3. RUMEX L. 



Perennial or annual, leafy-stemmed herbs, some species slightly woody, the 

 reaves in some mainly basal. Stem grooved, mostly branched, erect, spreading or 

 Creeping. Leaves flat or crisped, the ocreae brittle and fugacious, the inflorescence 

 of simple or compound, often panicled racemes. Flowers green, perfect, dioecious, 

 or polygamo-moncecious, whorled, on jointed pedicels. Corolla none. Calyx 

 6-parted, the 3 outer sepals unchanged in fruit, the 3 inner ones mostly developed 

 into wings, one or all three of which usually bear a callosity (tubercle); wings 

 entire, dentate, or fringed with bristle-like teeth. Stamens 6, filaments glabrous. 

 Style 3-parted ; stigmas peltate, tufted; achene 3-angled, the angles usually mar- 

 gined. Embryo borne in one of the faces of the 3-angled seed. [The ancient Latin 

 name.] About 130 species, of wide geographic distribution. Besides the following 

 some 6 others occur in the southern and western parts of North America. 



* Leaves hastate; flowers dicoeious. foliage acid; low species. 



Inner sepals not developing wings in fruit ; achene granular. 1. R. Acetosella. 

 Fruiting inner sepals developing wings; achene smooth. 



Basal leaves numerous ; wings orbicular-cordate. 2. R. hastatulus. 



Easal leaves few; wings broadly oblong-cordate. 3. R. Acetosa. 



** Leaves not hastate; flowers perfect or polygamo-dicecious; foliage scarcely or not 

 at all acid; tali species. 



Leaves flat, bright or light green, or giaucescent. 



Wings, 12-35 mm. broad, reddish; no tubercles. 4. R. venosus. 



Wings small, not red, bearing tubercles. 

 Tubercles usually 3. 



Pedicels little longer than the wings. 5. R. salicifolius. 



Pedicels several times longer than the wings. 6. R. verticillatus. 



Tubercle usually 1 ; pedicels equalling the wings. 7. R. altissimus. 



Leaves wavy-margined or crisped, dark green, not giaucescent. 

 Wings entire, more or less undulate. 



Lower leaves narrowed or acuminate at the base. 



Tubercle 1. 8. R. Patientia. 



Tubercles 3. 9. R. Britanmca. 



Lower leaves cordate or rounded at the base. 



Tubercles wanting. 10. R. occidentahs. 



Tubercles mostly 3. 



Inflorescence not leafy; pedicels long. ir. R. crispus. 



Inflorescence leafy; pedicels long. 12. R. conglomeratus. 



Tubercle 1 ; inflorescence not leafy; pedicels short. 



13. R. sanguineus. 

 Wings toothed or fringed. 



Lower leaves cordate. 



Wings ovate or oblong-ovate ; tubercles mostly 2. 



14. R. pulcher. 

 Wings hastate or ovate-hastate ; tubercle 1. 15. R. obtusifolius. 



Lower leaves mostly narrowed at base ; wings with 4 spreading bristle-like 

 teeth. 16. R. persicarioides. 



1. Rumex Acetosella L. Field or Sheep Sorrel. (I. F. f. 1299.) 

 Annual or perennial, glabrous, dioecious; stem slender, erect or nearly so, the 

 rootstock woody, horizontal or creeping. Leaves narrowly hastate, 5-16 cm. long, 

 obtuse or acute at the apex, usually widest above the middle, petioled. the basal 

 auricles entire or 1 2-tootherL or the uppermost leaves nearly linear and not 

 auricled, all papillose; ocreae silvery, 2-parted, soon lacerate; flowers in erect 

 panicled racemes; racemes interrupted; calyx green, 1 mm. long, pedicelled; 



