Rumex acetosella L.
sheep sorrel (common sheep sorrel)
Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
sheep sorrel (common sheep sorrel)
Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
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.
Illustration
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
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Rumex acetosella
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
706 | 31 | 2055 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
28 | 0 | 84 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
181 | 30 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
3 | 0 | 6 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
48 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
CDF(11), CWH(2), ESSF(2), ICH(5), IDF(14), MS(2), PP(2), SBPS(1), SBS(1), SWB(1) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Mesic to dry gardens, fields, roadsides and waste places; common in S BC, rare northward; introduced from Eurasia.Status Information
Synonyms
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