General:
Annual or perennial dioecious (male and female flowers on separate plants) herb from slender rhizomes and simple to branched crowns; stems erect, several, simple (below the inflorescence), 15-30 cm tall, smooth.

Leaves:
Basal leaves linear to egg-shaped, at least some arrowhead-shaped, with the lobes pointing outwards, smooth, the blades 1-5 cm long, the stalks often longer than the blades; stem leaves alternate, similar but reduced upward, nearly unstalked.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of unisexual flowers in an open, large but narrow panicle; flower stalks jointed near the base of the flower; perianths 1-1.5 mm long, reddish to yellowish, the inner segments tightly enclosing the achenes, lacking a grain-like swelling.

Fruits:
Achenes, golden brown, smooth, about 1.5 mm long.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Acetosella acetosella (L.) Small
Acetosella tenuifolia (Wallr.) A. Löve
Acetosella vulgaris Fourr.
Rumex acetosella subsp. acetosella
Rumex acetosella subsp. angiocarpus (Murb.) Murb.
Rumex acetosella var. pyrenaeus (Pourr.) Timbal-Lagrave
Rumex acetosella var. tenuifolius Wallr.
Rumex angiocarpus Murb.
Rumex tenuifolius (Wallr.) A. Löve