Rumex aquaticus L.
western dock
Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
western dock
Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from a strong taproot; stems usually erect, simple, (below the inflorescence), 50-150 cm tall, reddish, usually smooth.
Leaves:
Basal leaves oblong-lanceolate to egg-shaped, usually heart-shaped at base, more-or-less crisp-margined, usually smooth, the blades 5-40 cm long, the stalks long; stem leaves alternate, few, much reduced upward.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of numerous flowers in a large (20-50 cm long), narrow, compound panicle; flower stalks not jointed; perianths greenish, the outer segments 2-4 mm long, the inner segments 4-10 mm long, net-veined, becoming reddish, lacking a grain-like swelling.
Fruits:
Achenes, chestnut brown, smooth, 2-4 mm long.
Notes:
This species is closely related to R. arcticus.
Habitat and Range
Moist to wet meadows, tidal marshes or shorelines in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent throughout BC, infrequent on the Queen Charlotte Islands; N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to SD, UT, NM and CA.Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Rumex aquaticus subsp. fenestratus (Greene) Hultén
Rumex aquaticus subsp. occidentalis (S. Watson) Hultén
Rumex fenestratus Greene
Rumex occidentalis S. Watson
Rumex occidentalis var. fenestratus (Greene) Lepage
Rumex occidentalis var. labradoricus (Rech. f.) Lepage
Rumex occidentalis var. procerus (Greene) J.T. Howell
Rumex subalpinus M.E. Jones