Rumex bucephalophorus

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 336. 1753.

Common names: Horned red or ruby dock
IntroducedIllustrated
Synonyms: Bucephalophora aculeata Pau Lapathum bucephalophorum (Linnaeus) Lamarck
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 532. Mentioned on page 493, 496, 533.

Plants annual, rarely biennial [perennial], glabrous or nearly so, with fusiform vertical root. Stems branched from base or near base, occasionally simple, slender, 5–50 cm. Leaves: ocrea deciduous or partially persistent; blade spatulate, lanceolate, or ovatelanceolate, 1–5 (–8) × (0.5–) 1–2.5 cm, base cuneate, rarely rounded, margins normally entire, flat, apex obtuse. Inflorescences terminal, simple, racemose, occupying most of stem, interrupted, linear. Pedicels usually distinctly heteromorphic (much thickened distally), 4–7 (–10) mm; others less than 4 mm. Flowers 2–3 (–4) in lax clusters (reduced whorls); inner tepals variable, often heteromorphic, triangular, narrowly triangular, ligulate, or ovate-oblong, (1.5–) 2–4 (–5) × (0.5–) 1–3 mm (excluding teeth), base truncate, margins usually dentate, sometimes entire, apex obtuse or acute, usually not hooked, teeth 2–4 (–8), at each side of margins, slender, straight or hooked, 0.3–1 mm; tubercles absent, or 3, usually represented by minute swellings barely recognizable as tubercles. Achenes brown to dark-brown, 1.3–2.3 × 0.7–1.4 mm. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Ruderal habitats, ballast grounds
Elevation: 0 m

Distribution

V5 1089-distribution-map.gif

Introduced; La., s Europe, w Asia, n Africa, occasionally in other regions

Discussion

Rumex bucephalophorus is a polymorphic species, especially within its native range. K. H. Rechinger (1939, 1964) and J. R. Press (1988) recognized several subspecies, but no attempt has been made to distinguish infraspecific taxa among the limited North American materials. This species occurs in the flora area as an uncommon, casual alien. It has the potential to naturalize in the southern United States, especially in coastal regions from the Carolinas to Texas, and in California.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

... more about "Rumex bucephalophorus"
unwinged +  and weakly winged +
brown;dark-brown +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br />) +
pyramidal +, compressed-3-gonous +  and 3-gonous +
0.7mm;1.4mm +
yellow +  and brownish yellow +
ovate +  and elongate +
hooked;acute;obtuse;obtuse +
Sergei L. Mosyakin +
Linnaeus +
not articulated +
rounded +  and cuneate +
Rumex sect. Platypodium +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
ovatelanceolate;lanceolate;ovatelanceolate;lanceolate;spatulate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
foliaceous +  and perfoliate +
scale-like +
tuberculate +
just below the soil surface or and above the soil surface +  and spreading +
Horned +, red +  and or ruby dock +
La. +, s Europe +, w Asia +, n Africa +  and occasionally in other regions +
free +  and distinct +
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 +
Ruderal habitats, ballast grounds +
interrupted +  and simple +
ligulate +  and heteromorphic +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
slightly wider and longer +
ovate-oblong +  and triangular +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
1mm +  and 3mm +
nonmembranous +
rounded +, ovatelanceolate +, lanceolate +  and spatulate +
deciduous +
cauline +  and basal +
entire +  and dentate +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
entire +, orbiculate +  and linear +
smaller +
narrower +
swollen +
partly +  and foliaceous +
persistent +  and deciduous +
cylindric +
membranous +
straight +
cylindric +  and not swollen +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
anatropous +, , +  and orthotropous +
heteromorphic +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
clavate +  and swollen +
accrescent +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
spreading;erect +
red;pinkish;red;pinkish;green +
campanulate +
accrescent +
fleshy +, indurate +  and membranous +
Flowering summer. +
(2-)3(-4)-carpellate +
fusiform +
slender;stout +
Introduced +  and Illustrated +
simple +  and branched +
erect +, spreading +  and ascending +
papillose-pubescent +  and glabrous +
slender +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
plumose +  and fimbriate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
2-lobed +  and cylindric +
coriaceous +  and membranous +
distinct +
reflexed;spreading +
spreading;erect +
Bucephalophora aculeata +  and Lapathum bucephalophorum +
Rumex bucephalophorus +
Rumex subg. Platypodium +
species +
lobed +  and laciniate +
coriaceous +
straight +
slender +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
persistent +
membranous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +
biennial +  and annual +
nearly +  and glabrous +
10 +, 9 +, 8 +  and 7 +