Rumex acetosa

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 337. 1753.

Common names: Common or garden sorrel sourdock grande oseille
WeedyIntroducedIllustrated
Synonyms: Acetosa pratensis Miller Rumex acetosa subsp. pratensis (Miller) A. Blytt & O. C. Dahl
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 502. Mentioned on page 491, 503, 504.

Plants perennial, glabrous or nearly so, with short and relatively thin, horizontal or slightly oblique rootstock (usually not reaching deep into substrate) and ± crowded 2d-order roots. Stems erect or rarely ascending, 1 to several from base, branched in distal 1/2 (in inflorescence), (25–)30–90(–110) cm. Leaves: ocrea normally laciniate; blade oblong-ovate, ovate-lanceolate, to lanceolate, 4–10(–15) × 1–4(–6) cm, normally more than 2.5 times as long as wide, base sagittate (with acute lobes directed downward, ± parallel to petiole), margins entire, normally flat, apex acute or subacute. Inflorescences terminal, occupying distal 1/3 of stem, usually lax and interrupted especially in proximal part, narrowly paniculate, cylindric (with 1st-order branches simple, or with few 2d-order branches). Pedicels articulated near middle, filiform, 2–5(–6) mm, articulation distinct. Flowers (2–)4–8(–10) in whorls; inner tepals orbiculate, occasionally broadly ovate, 3–4(–5) × 3–4 mm, base rounded or cordate, apex obtuse; tubercles small or occasionally absent. Achenes black to dark brown, 1.8–2.5 × 1.2–1.5 mm, shiny, smooth. 2n = 14 (pistillate plants), 15 (staminate plants).


Phenology: Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat: Waste places, meadows, cultivated fields, alluvial habitats
Elevation: 0-1000 m

Distribution

V5 1029-distribution-map.gif

Introduced; St. Pierre and Miquelon, Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., Que., Sask., Alaska, Conn., Maine., Mass., Mich., Minn., N.H., N.Y., Oreg., Pa., Vt., Europe, nw Africa, Asia.

Discussion

Rumex acetosa is morphologically uniform in North America. It sometimes is misidentified as R. hastatulus orR. acetosella. Collections from North America are few in herbaria, and this species probably is not as common in the flora area as has been generally assumed. Some literature reports for R. acetosa may refer to other taxa of the species group.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Rumex acetosa"
Sergei L. Mosyakin +
Linnaeus +
Undefined subg. Acetosa +
Common or garden sorrel +, sourdock +  and grande oseille +
St. Pierre and Miquelon +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.S. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Alaska +, Conn. +, Maine. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, N.H. +, N.Y. +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, Vt. +, Europe +, nw Africa +  and Asia. +
0-1000 m +
Waste places, meadows, cultivated fields, alluvial habitats +
Flowering spring–early summer. +
Weedy +, Introduced +  and Illustrated +
Acetosa pratensis +  and Rumex acetosa subsp. pratensis +
Rumex acetosa +
Rumex subg. Acetosa +
species +