UMEX MARIT1MUS. SMALL WATER JJOCK, 



RUMEX Lhu Gen. PL Hexandria Trigynia. 



Cal. 3. phyllus. Petala 3* conniventia. Sent. 1. triqnetrum. 

 Rail Syn.> Gen. 5. Herb^; flore imperfecto seu stamineo vel apetalo potiuS. 



RUMEX marithnus florlbus hermaphroditis : walvulis dentatis graniferis, foliis linearibus. Lin. Syjl. 

 b. p, 285. Sp. PL 478. FL Suecic. n. 313. 



LAPATHUM petiolis latefcentibus, foliis longe lanceolatis, florib'us verticiilatis verrucofis. Haller 

 hifi. 11. 1590. 



LAPATHUM aquaticum, anguftiffime acuminata folio. Bocc. mus. 2. p. 142. t. 115. 



LAPATHUM aureum glomerulis denfis. PeuHerb. T. 2. fig. 3. 



ANTHOXANTHON. J B. 11 988. anguflifolium polyfpermon. Merrei pin. 



LAPATHUM aureum Pet. herb. i. 2. f. 7. longo angufloque folio, Anthoxantho plurimo accedens, 

 verticillis rarioribus caulem cingentibus, femine majori. Rati Syn. p. 142. Golden Dock. 

 Huafon. FL Angl. ed. 2. p. 155. 

 Light foot FL Scot. p. 118. 



RxADIX perennis, fufiformis, foris ex rubro fufca, in- t ROOT perennial and tapering, externally of a reddifh 



tus ruberrima, fapore adftringente, et ingrato. I brown, internally of a bright red colour, its 



¥ tafle aflringent and unpleafant. 



CAULIS bi ant tripedalis, ramofus, rubicundus, ful- | STx^LK from, two to three feet high, branched, of a 



catns, fcabriufculus. * reddifh colour, grooved, and {lightly rough, 



FOLIA radicalia longe petiolata, dodrantalia aut peda- | LEAVES next the root flan ding on long fooflaiks, ob- 



lia, oblongo lanceolata, bafi paululum anguf- | long and lanceolate, a little narrowed at the 



tata, e viridi caerulefeentia, planiufcula, mar- % bafe, of a blueifh green colour, fiattifh, but 



gine undulato-crenata, fuperiora lineari- lance- | flightly waved and notched on the edge, the 



olata, fuperne fere avenia, plerumque furfum | top leaves of a fhape betwixt linear and lance- 



curvata. % olate, having on the Upper fide fcarce any 



I appearance of veins, and ufually bent up- 



% wards. 



FLORES fepius flavefcentes, circa caulem in denfis et | FLOWERS moftly of a yellowifh colour, placed a- 



numerofis glomerulis verticillatim difpofiti. | round the flalk in numerous thick whirls. 



CALYX: Perianthium triphyllum, foliolis lanceo- % CALYX: a Periathium of three leaves, which are 



latis, ereclis, ;concavis, paululum incurvis. 1 lanceolate, upright, hollow, and bent a little 



I inwards. 



COROLLA: Petala tria, ovato-lanceolata, viridia, | COROLLA: three Petals; oval and pointed, of a 

 margine prope batin duobus aut tribus denti- | green colour, the edge near the bottom fur- 

 bus fetaceis inftru&a, granifera, granulis, % nifhed with two or three fine, long teeth, the 

 adultis fuper valvulis, oblongis, tumidis, ma- | valves when full grown producing grains 

 jufculis. ^g*. 1. 2. ■% which are oblong, tumid and rather large. 



I fig- !• 2 -. 



STAMINxA : Fil amenta fex, capillaria, breviffima ; I STAMINA: fix Filaments very fine and very ihort; 

 Anthers oblongae, ereclze, didymae, flavae. t Anthers oblong, upright, double and yel- 



| low. 



PISTILLUM : Germen trigonum ; Styli tres, ca~ | PISTILLUM : Germen three corner'd ; Styles three, 

 pillares, inter rimas petalorum conniventium ^ very {lender, projecting from betwixt the 



exferti ; Stigmata laciniata. I junclures of the clofed petals, Stigmata 



PERICARPIUM nullum. | SEED-VESSEL none, 



SEMEN unicum, triquetrum, nitidum, corolla inclu- | SEED fingle, three corner'd, mining, conta'm'd vvith- 

 fum. fig. 3. ? in the clofed corolla, fig. 3. 



OF all the different fpecies of Docks which this country produces, this feems to have been the leafl underflood ; 

 yet are its charadteriflic marks not lefs ftriking, nor its varieties more remarkable than any of the other fpecies. 



That our plant is the Rumex marithnus oihinnceus no one can doubt that reads his defcription in the Flora Suecica ; 

 the character 'of the radix rubra fo peculiar to it which is given in the Syfiema Fegetabilium, is an additional 

 confirmation -of it. 



The three fpecies of Lapathum viz. n. 4. 5. 10 added to thofe of Ray by Dillenius in the third edition of 

 the Synopfis and mark'd with an aflerifk are doubtlefs to be referred to this plant and confidered only as fome of 

 its varieties. 



The name of marithnus feems but ill applied, as it is by no means confined in its growth to the Sea fhore, 

 the term palufiris which Mr. Hudson has given to a fpecies which I profefs my felf totally ignorant of would 

 perhaps be more fuitable for it. 



The plant here figured grows in the greatefl plenty in the neighbourhood of my Garden St. Georges Fields, fo 

 that I have had frequent opportunities of obferving it in all its ftates, its mofl ftriking character when in flower 

 or feed is the number and narrownefs of the leaves on its branches ; when view'd more clofely, we are ltruck 

 with tlae number and length of the teeth on the edges of the feed valves, which valves are frequently though not 

 always of a yellowifh colour and furnifhed with remarkably large and long grains, if any doubt remains refpecting 

 the fpecies, the roct on being cut acrofs exhibits a beautifull red colour equal to any carmine, and which is a 

 character that I have hitherto always found to be conflant to this fpecies. 



The natural fituation of the Rumex maritimus is a moifl one ; thus we find it on the edges of wet ditches, 

 and rivulets, tho' not unfrequently in paflures or drier ground, on the former particularly if the fituation be, ftiel- 

 tered and the foil luxuriant it will grow to the height of three or four feet, having radical leaves a foot long and 

 three inches broad which when young aflume a fomewhat glaucous appearance, in the latter it ieldom grows 

 more than a foot high and then its radical leaves are about fix inches long and one inch or fomewhat more broad, 

 (outlines of both thele leaves are reprefented on the plate) but in neither of thefe fituations does it lofe. its cha- 

 racter above fpecified. 



It is not only in the neighbourhood of St. Georges Fields that I have noticed this fpecies but in fimilar fitua- 

 tions in many places around London, and I doubt not but it is a very common plant in many parts of England. 



It flowers in July, Augufl and September ; I remember once to have feen the leaves having red veins like 

 thofe of the Rximex janguineus. 



It is one of thofe Docks which are the leafl noxious to the Farmer ; the roots I have been informed are fre- 

 quently dug up and fold for thofe of the fharp pointed Dock. 



