Rumex obovatus

Danser

Ned. Kruidk. Arch. 1920: 241, figs. 1–3. 1921.

Common names: Tropical or obovate-leaved dock
Introduced
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 527. Mentioned on page 497, 528, 529.

Plants annual [sometimes biennial or perennial in tropics], glabrous or nearly so, with fusiform, vertical rootstock. Stems erect, branched distal to middle or in distal 2/3, 20–40 (–70) cm. Leaves: ocrea deciduous or partially persistent at maturity; blade usually distinctly obovate, widest distal to middle, rarely weakly panduriform, 4–7 (–11) × 2–5 cm, less than 4 times as long as wide, coriaceous, base cuneate, rarely almost truncate, margins entire, flat, rarely slightly undulate, apex obtuse or rounded. Inflorescences terminal, occupying distal 1/2 of stem, usually lax, occasionally rather dense, interrupted in basal 1/2, broadly paniculate, branches usually straight, unbranched, forming angle of 45° with 1st-order stem, leafy almost to top. Pedicels articulated in proximal 1/3, thickened, 3–5 mm, articulation distinctly swollen. Flowers 10–20 in rather dense whorls; inner tepals ovate-triangular or triangular-deltoid, 4–5 (–5.5) × 2.4–3 mm (excluding teeth), ca. 1.5 times as long as wide, base truncate, margins distinctly dentate, apex acute to subacute, straight, teeth 3–5, normally at each side of margins, narrowly triangular or subulate, straight, 0.4–2.5 mm, equaling or shorter than width of inner tepals; tubercles usually 3, equal or subequal, apex obtuse, distinctly verrucose. Achenes brown, 2.3–2.8 (–3) × 1.4–1.8 mm.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Mostly coastal habitats: sea shores, river deltas
Elevation: 0-50 m

Distribution

V5 1080-distribution-map.gif

Introduced; Fla., La., South America, in Europe

Discussion

Rumex obovatus is morphologically uniform. Individuals with panduriform leaves may be mistaken for R. pulcher, which is distinguished from R. obovatus by its less leathery leaves with subcordate to truncate (not distinctly cuneate) bases, usually more-spreading inflorescence branches, and perennial habit. Rumex obovatus was reported for Louisiana by J. W. Thieret (1969c), who followed determinations by K. H. Rechinger. It is known also from Florida and may be expected in adjacent coastal states. Thieret mentioned that one of his collections was made “within 150 feet of the Texas border.”

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

... more about "Rumex obovatus"
unwinged +  and weakly winged +
0.28 cm2.8 mm <br />0.0028 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br /> (0.28 cm2.8 mm <br />0.0028 m <br />) +
pyramidal +, compressed-3-gonous +  and 3-gonous +
1.4mm;1.8mm +
yellow +  and brownish yellow +
ovate +  and elongate +
straight +
verrucose +
obtuse;acute;subacute +
Sergei L. Mosyakin +
Danser +
not articulated +
cuneate +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (11 cm110 mm <br />0.11 m <br />) +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
distal +  and middle +
panduriform;obovate +
coriaceous +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
foliaceous +  and perfoliate +
scale-like +
leafy +  and unbranched +
tuberculate +
just below the soil surface or and above the soil surface +  and spreading +
Tropical or obovate-leaved dock +
Fla. +, La. +, South America +  and in Europe +
0-50 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 +
Mostly coastal habitats: sea shores, river deltas +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 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 +
triangular-deltoid +  and ovate-triangular +
2.4mm +  and 3mm +
nonmembranous +
deciduous +
cauline +  and basal +
dentate +  and entire +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
undulate +
smaller +
narrower +
swollen +
partly +  and foliaceous +
persistent +  and deciduous +
cylindric +
membranous +
anatropous +, , +  and orthotropous +
accrescent +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
spreading;erect +
red;pinkish;red;pinkish;green +
campanulate +
accrescent +
fleshy +, indurate +  and membranous +
Flowering summer. +
(2-)3(-4)-carpellate +
Ned. Kruidk. Arch. +
slender;stout +
Introduced +
not scapose +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br />) +
in distal 2/3 +, distal +  and middle +
papillose-pubescent +  and glabrous +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
plumose +  and fimbriate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
2-lobed +  and cylindric +
coriaceous +  and membranous +
distinct +
reflexed;spreading +
spreading;erect +
Rumex sect. Simplices +
Rumex obovatus +
Rumex sect. Rumex +
species +
lobed +  and laciniate +
coriaceous +
straight +
subulate +  and triangular +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
persistent +
membranous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +
nearly +  and glabrous +
10 +, 9 +, 8 +  and 7 +