Rumex alpinus

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 334. 1753.

Common names: Monk’s-rhubarb butter or Alpine dock
IntroducedIllustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 517. Mentioned on page 494.

Plants perennial, glabrous or minutely papillose-pubescent, with stout, creeping rhizome. Stems erect, branched above middle, 60–100 cm. Leaves: ocrea mostly deciduous or sometimes partially persistent at maturity; blade usually ovate-orbiculate, sometimes orbiculate or broadly ovate, 20–40 × 20–35 cm, base deeply and widely cordate, margins entire, flat or slightly undulate, apex obtuse. Inflorescences terminal, occupying distal 1/2 of stem, rather dense, widely paniculate to fusiform. Pedicels articulated at middle or in proximal 1/3, filiform, 3–9 mm, articulation distinctly swollen. Flowers 10–20 in whorls; inner tepals ovate or ovate-triangular, 4–5 (–6) × 3–5 mm, base truncate or slightly cordate, margins entire or subentire, apex obtuse or subobtuse; tubercles absent. Achenes brown to brownish green, 2.5–3.5 × 1–2 mm. 2n = 20.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat: Waste places: roadsides, old fields and gardens, disturbed meadows
Elevation: 0-1500 m

Distribution

V5 1061-distribution-map.gif

Introduced; N.S., Maine, Vt., c, s Europe, w Asia

Discussion

Rumex alpinus belongs to subsect. Alpini Rechinger f. The name R. alpinus has been proposed for nomenclatural conservation (S. Cafferty and S. Snogerup 2000).

This species was first reported from North America in Nova Scotia (M. L. Fernald 1921; K. H. Rechinger 1937). It remains uncommon in the United States and Canada. Rumex alpinus never has been reported as being a serious invasive weed; however, it may persist at a site for a very long time. Previously, the species was cultivated widely, mostly for medicinal and veterinary purposes.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"/2" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Rumex alpinus"
unwinged +  and weakly winged +
brown;brownish green +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
pyramidal +, compressed-3-gonous +  and 3-gonous +
yellow +  and brownish yellow +
ovate +  and elongate +
subobtuse;obtuse;obtuse +
swollen +  and filiform +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
Sergei L. Mosyakin +
Linnaeus +
not articulated +
cordate +  and truncate +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
ovate;orbiculate;ovate-orbiculate +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br />) +
foliaceous +  and perfoliate +
scale-like +
tuberculate +
just below the soil surface or and above the soil surface +  and spreading +
Monk’s-rhubarb +  and butter or Alpine dock +
N.S. +, Maine +, Vt. +, c +, s Europe +  and w Asia +
0-1500 m +
free +  and distinct +
unisexual +, bisexual +  and , +
disarticulating +  and solid +
decumbent to erect +  and prostrate +
unwinged +  and winged +
black +, red +, brown +  and yellowish +
exserted +  and included +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
spheroidal +, 4-gonous +, lenticular +, biconvex +, discoid +, 3-gonous +  and 2-gonous +
Waste places: roadsides, old fields and gardens, disturbed meadows +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
always distinctly wider and longer +
ovate-triangular +  and ovate +
3mm +  and 5mm +
nonmembranous +
deciduous +
cauline +  and basal +
dentate +  and entire +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
subentire +, entire +, undulate +  and flat +
smaller +
narrower +
swollen +
partly +  and foliaceous +
persistent +  and deciduous +
cylindric +
membranous +
anatropous +, , +  and orthotropous +
accrescent +
spreading;erect +
red;pinkish;red;pinkish;green +
campanulate +
accrescent +
fleshy +, indurate +  and membranous +
Flowering late spring–summer. +
(2-)3(-4)-carpellate +
slender;stout +
Introduced +  and Illustrated +
papillose-pubescent +  and glabrous +
60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
plumose +  and fimbriate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
2-lobed +  and cylindric +
coriaceous +  and membranous +
distinct +
reflexed;spreading +
spreading;erect +
Rumex sect. Simplices +
Rumex alpinus +
Rumex sect. Rumex +
species +
lobed +  and laciniate +
coriaceous +
persistent +
membranous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +
papillose-pubescent +  and glabrous +
10 +, 9 +, 8 +  and 7 +