Rumex arcticus

Trautvetter in A. T. von Middendorff

in A. T. von Middendorff, Reise Siber. 1(2,1): 29. 1847.

Common names: Arctic dock
Illustrated
Synonyms: Rumex aquaticus subsp. arcticus (Trautvetter) Hiitonen Rumex arcticus var. kamtschadalus (Komarov) Rechinger f. ex Tolmatchew Rumex arcticus var. latifolius Tolmatchew Rumex domesticus var. nanus Hooker Rumex kamtschadalus M. M. Maximova Rumex longifolius var. nanus (Hooker) Meisner Rumex ursinus
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 518. Mentioned on page 494, 503, 519.

Plants perennial, glabrous or nearly so, with fusiform, oblique rootstock, occasionally with horizontal, short-creeping rhizome. Stems erect, simple or branched in distal 2/3 (then with few, comparatively short branches), 10–70 (–100) cm. Leaves: ocrea deciduous or partially persistent at maturity; blade narrowly lanceolate, lanceolate, or oblong-lanceolate, normally 5–15 (–20) × 1.5–5 cm, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, rarely truncate or very weakly cordate, margins entire or rarely indistinctly repand, flat, apex acute or subacute. Inflorescences terminal, occupying distal 1/2–2/3 of stem, interrupted, paniculate, simple or nearly so (branches, when present usually less than 7–8 cm). Pedicels articulated in proximal 1/3, filiform, 5–13 (–17) mm, usually not more than 2–2.5 times as long as inner tepals, articulation weakly evident, not swollen. Flowers 7–15 in whorls; inner tepals ovate, 4.5–7.5 (–8) × 4–6 (–7) mm, base truncate to weakly cordate, margins entire, apex obtuse or subacute; tubercles absent. Achenes reddish-brown, 3–4 × 1.5–2 mm. 2n = 40, 120, ca. 170, ca. 200.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat: Moist tundra, marshes, river valleys, sandy and gravelly shores and slopes
Elevation: 0-1000 m

Distribution

V5 1064-distribution-map.gif

B.C., N.W.T., Nunavut, Yukon, Alaska, ne Europe, n Asia (arctic and subarctic zones)

Discussion

Rumex arcticus is polymorphic, as are R. aquaticus in the narrow sense and R. occidentalis. However, unlike R. aquaticus and R. occidentalus, it is represented by at least two chromosome races (G. A. Mulligan and C. Frankton 1972; Á. Löve 1986). Plants morphologically transitional between R. arcticus and R. aquaticus were described from Kamchatka as R. kamtschadalus (= R. arcticus var. kamtschadalus). The same forms occasionally occur in northwestern North America. According to Á. Löve and D. Löve (1975b) and Á. Löve (1986), they are usually tetraploids (2n = 40) and deserve recognition at the species level. However, they are not always morphologically distinct from R. arcticus. The group needs additional study, and at present I prefer to keep the tetraploid plants provisionally within R. arcticus, regarding them as var. kamtschadalus.

A few highly sterile specimens with mostly abortive flowers, which I have seen in Alaskan herbarium material, most probably represent hybrids between tetraploid and 12-ploid races of the R. aquaticus group.

Plants with unusually wide, triangular-oblong, or almost ovate leaves were described as var. latifolius Tolmatchew. This seems to be a predominant variety on the Beringian coast of Chukotka and Wrangel and Ratmanov islands (A. I. Tolmachew 1966). I also have seen at least two collections of this variety from the western coast of Alaska. The enigmatic var. perlatus Hultén may belong here (see discussion under 8. R. lapponicus).

Rumex arcticus has been reported from Churchill in northeastern Manitoba (H. J. Scoggan 1978–1979, part 3). That record needs confirmation because some northern forms of R. arcticus and R. occidentalis are similar.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"/2" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."+-2.5timesaslongasinnertepals" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Rumex arcticus"
200 +, 170 +, 120 +  and 40 +
unwinged +  and weakly winged +
reddish-brown +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
pyramidal +, compressed-3-gonous +  and 3-gonous +
1.5mm;2mm +
yellow +  and brownish yellow +
ovate +  and elongate +
subacute;obtuse;subacute;acute +
Sergei L. Mosyakin +
Trautvetter in A. T. von Middendorff +
not articulated +
truncate +  and weakly cordate +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
oblong-lanceolate;lanceolate;oblong-lanceolate;lanceolate;lanceolate +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
foliaceous +  and perfoliate +
scale-like +
tuberculate +
just below the soil surface or and above the soil surface +  and spreading +
Arctic dock +
B.C. +, N.W.T. +, Nunavut +, Yukon +, Alaska +, ne Europe +  and n Asia (arctic and subarctic zones) +
0-1000 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 +
Moist tundra, marshes, river valleys, sandy and gravelly shores and slopes +
nearly +, simple +  and interrupted +
0.75 cm7.5 mm <br />0.0075 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br /> (0.75 cm7.5 mm <br />0.0075 m <br />) +
always distinctly wider and longer +
4mm +  and 6mm +
nonmembranous +
deciduous +
cauline +  and basal +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
repand +  and entire +
smaller +
narrower +
swollen +
partly +  and foliaceous +
persistent +  and deciduous +
cylindric +
membranous +
anatropous +, , +  and orthotropous +
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
accrescent +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
spreading;erect +
red;pinkish;red;pinkish;green +
campanulate +
accrescent +
fleshy +, indurate +  and membranous +
Flowering late spring–summer. +
(2-)3(-4)-carpellate +
in A. T. von Middendorff, Reise Siber. +
slender;stout +
Illustrated +
branched +  and simple +
70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
papillose-pubescent +  and glabrous +
1/2 +  and 2/3 +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br />) +
plumose +  and fimbriate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
2-lobed +  and cylindric +
coriaceous +  and membranous +
distinct +
reflexed;spreading +
spreading;erect +
Rumex aquaticus subsp. arcticus +, Rumex arcticus var. kamtschadalus +, Rumex arcticus var. latifolius +, Rumex domesticus var. nanus +, Rumex kamtschadalus +, Rumex longifolius var. nanus +  and Rumex ursinus +
Rumex arcticus +
Rumex sect. Rumex +
species +
lobed +  and laciniate +
coriaceous +
persistent +
membranous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +
nearly +  and glabrous +
10 +, 9 +, 8 +  and 7 +