UMEX ACUTUS. ShARP-POINTED DoGK. 



RUMEX Lin. Gen. Hexandria Trigynia. 



Cal. 3 phyllus. Petala 3 conniventia. Semen triquetrum, 



Raii Syn. Gen. 5. Herb;e flore imperfecto seu stamineo vel apetalo potius. 



RUMEX acutus floribus hermaphroditis ; valvulis dentatis graniferis, foliis cordato oblongis acuminatis. 

 Lin.8yJl.Veg. p. 285. Sp. PL p. 478 F/. Suecic. n. 316. 



LAPATHUM petiolo latefcente, foliis lanceolatis, calyce ferrato. Mailer, hijl. n. 1591. 



LAPATHUM acutum. Scopoli p. 292. 



LAPATHUM folio acuto piano. B. pin. 1 1 5. 



LAPATHUM acutum. Ger. emac. 388. 



LAPATHUM acutum feu Oxylapathum. J. Bauh. II. 983. 



LAPATHUM acutum majus. Park. 1224. Raii Syn. p. 142. Sharp-pointed Dock. 



Hudfon. PI. Angl. ed. 2. p. 155. Lightfoot FL Scat. p. 188. 



RADIX perennis, craflitie digiti minimi aut major, in | 



terrain profunde penetrans nee facile extra- | 



henda, fimplex in juuioribus, in adultis ra- ¥ 



mofa, foris e flavo fufca, cortice interne fla- | 



vefcente, medulla albida. 



CAULIS bipedalis, ad tripedalem, craffitie pennee an- 

 ferin^e, teres, ftriatus, rubens, ramofus, fu- 

 perne fiexnoius, rigidus, geniculis ftipulis ob- 

 foletis tectis, 



RAMI cauli limiles, patentes, longiusculi, inferne fo- | 



lioii. I 



FOLIA inferiora oblongo-ovata, acuta, bafi fubcordata, t 



plana, longitudine uncias quinque, latitudine | 



duas, margine crenulato-crifpa, fubtus fibris y 



plurimis minute reticulata, caulina faepius un- t 



dulata, attamen multo minus quam in rumice | 



crifpo. ? 



FLORES parvi, numerofi, circa ramulos femiverticil- t 



latim difpofiti, idque alterne, penduli. | 



PEDUNCULI filiformes, ad bafin geniculati. | 



CALYX: PerianthiuiM triphyllum, foliolis minimis, | 



fubfetaceis, concavis, rigid ulis, perfiftentibus. t 



COROLLA Stamina et Piftillum, cum nullam notam % 



praebeant huic fpeciei peculiarem, ad valvulas | 



femen maturam continentes praeterimus, ob | 

 quibus certe et facile diftinguitur. 



VALVULE minimae fi ad valvulas aliorum Rumicum f 



noftratium comparantur, calyce duplo longi- ■% 



ores, oblongae, obtufiufculae, integerrimae, | 



unica idque exteriore femper granifera, reli- ^ 



quis plerumque nudis, ex apice granular per \ 



medium valvulae decurrit linea prominula et | 



utrinque venae aliquot ope lentis folummodo % 



diftingui poffint ; Granule primum oblongse, | 



demum rotundae, prominulse, in umbrofis pal- | 

 lidae, in apricis ruberrimae. 



SEMEN unicum, triquetrum, flavefcens. * 



Fig. 1 Calyx. 2 Corolla. 3 Stamina. 4 Piftillum. 5 Val- | 



vulae cum granulis immaturis. 6 Semen. | 



ROO r perennial, the thicknefs of the little finger, or 

 larger, penetrating deeply into the earth, and 

 not eafily drawn our, in the young ones fim- 

 ple, in the full-grown ones branched, exter- 

 nally of a yellowifh brown colour, the infide 

 of the bark yellowim, the pith whitifli. 

 STALK from two ro three feet high, the thicknefs of 

 agoolequill, round, ftriated, reddifh, branched, 

 on the upper part crooked, rigid, the joints 

 covered with obfoJere ftipulae.' 

 BRANCHES like the ftalk, fpreading, longifli, on the 



lowe> part leafy 

 LEAVES at the bottom of the ftalk of an oblong, oval 

 fhape, pointed, at the bafe fomewhat heart- 

 flipped, flat, about five inches in length and 

 two in breadth, the edge notched, and fome- 

 what curled, underneath finely reticulated 

 with numerous fibres, thofe on the ftalk ufu- 

 ally waved, but much lefs io than in the curled 

 dock 

 FLOWERS fmall, numerous, difpofed about the bran- 

 ches in half whirls, and that alternately, hang- 

 ing down. 

 FLOWER-STALKS filiform, with a joint at the bafe. 

 CALYX : a Perianthium compofed of three leaves, 

 which are very fmall, narrow, pointed, hol- 

 low, fomewhat rigid and permanent. 

 COROLLA Staminaznd. Pj/ii//umhav'mg nothingin them 

 very peculiar, we pafs on to the valves con- 

 taining the ripe feed, which afford the prin- 

 cipal marks characterizing this fpecies. 

 VALVES very fmall if compared with the valves of 

 our other Docks, twice the length of the ca- 

 lyx, oblong, bluntifli, entire at the edge, one 

 and that the outer one always bearino- a gra- 

 nule, the others generally naked, from the 

 top of the granule through the middle of the 

 valve runs a prominent line, on each fide of 

 which, by the help of a glafs only, may be 

 difcerned a few veins ; Granules at fir ft oblong, 

 finally becoming round and prominent, in the 

 ftiade pallid, in expofed fituations very red. 

 SEED fingle, three-cornered, and yellowjfh. 

 Fig. 1 The Calyx. 2 the Corolla, 3 the Stamina. 4 the 

 Piftillum. 5 the Valves with the granules un- 

 ripe. 6 the Seed. 



The Rumex acutus, like the Rumex maritimus, is a plant by no means well underftood, either by Botanifts or 

 Simplers, both of which in their turn miftake it for fome other fpecies ; this I fhould not aflert, had 1 not 

 feen frequent inftances of fuch miftakes : fortunately it has a character which need only to be pointed out to make 

 this fpecies as obvious as any plant in nature, and this is the fmallnefs of its feed-valves, which are uniformlv at 

 leaft thrice as fmall as thofe of any of our other Docks ; the fpecies to which the Rumex acutus at fir ft fight has 

 the greateft refemblance, are the crifpus, the pulcher, and the maritimus, the fit ft of thefe is characterized by hav- 

 ing its leaves very much curled, its feed valves almoft round, entire and very large, fo that they nearly hide the 

 branches, in this the leaves are much lefs curled, the feed-valves, although entire at the edge, are altogether as 

 fmall as in the crifpus they are large, and inftead of being roundilh are of an oblong fhape, the whole plant is more 

 fine and delicate and the branches more fpreading ; from the pulcher and maritimus it is at once difringuilhed, by 

 having the edges of its valves entire, which in thofe are toothed. 



The bharp-pointed Dock is not confined to any particular place of growth, it is found not only in woods, hedge- 

 rows, and hedges, but alfo by the fides of rivers and roads ; in fields and meadows it is lefs frequent ; Camberwell 

 Grove is at prefent a good Habitat for it ; it flowers in June and July. The Rumex Janguineus differs in no refpect 

 from the prefent plant, but in the colour of its veins, on this account I confider it merely as its variety. 



It is the more necefiary that the Dock here figured fhould be thus pointed out, as it is an officinal plant and 

 confidered as ufefull in the cure of fcorbutic and cutaneous diforders, both exhibited internally, and applied exter- 

 nally in ointments, cataplafms, and fomentations. 



