''Rumex maritimus,'' commonly called golden dock, bristle dock, or seashore dock, is an annual plant species of the genus ''
Rumex
The docks and sorrels, genus ''Rumex'', are a genus of about 200 species of annual, biennial, and perennial herbs in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae.
Members of this genus are very common perennial herbs with a native almost worldwide distribu ...
''. ''Rumex maritimus'' grows in Argentina, Burma, Canada, China, and the United States. It is native to Canada and most of the 48 states.
The life span of ''Rumex maritimus'' is rarely biennial in moist environments.
This herb belongs to the family Polygonaceae.
Description
''Rumex maritimus'' is composed of golden yellow or green/yellow
inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
s on its leaves and stem. The plant ranges to be 15 cm to 75 cm high from the base of the plant.
The stems of the plant grows upward or laying close to the ground with pedicels as long as 3 to 8 cm. The leaves are wedged shaped, commonly narrow on both ends, but are rarely broadly wedded shaped. Its leaves range from 7 cm wide and 1.5 cm in height to 25 cm wide and 4 cm in height long containing blades that are
lanceolate
The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...
or lanceolate-linear.
The flower of ''Rumex maritimus'' produces 15 to 30 triangular or rhombic triangular flowers ranging from 2.5 mm wide and .75 mm tall and 3mm wide to 1.2 mm tall.
Distribution and habitat
''Rumex maritimus'' is very rare in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
but has been recorded from
County Cork
County Cork ( ga, Contae ChorcaÃ) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...
, Ireland, from about 1870. In Britain it is noted as local. According to the U.S. federal government the Connecticut 'seaside dock' is in special concern for endangerment and in New York 'golden dock' is endangered.
Also according to the U.S. federal government ''Rumex'' is classified as a noxious weed.
''Rumex maritimus'' frequently grow in areas that flood with water. Shoots that are elongated are grown during mid summer or summer, while shoots that are not elongated reproduce during its flooding season because the water transports its seeds.
Uses
Most organs in ''Rumex maritimus'' are used for medical purposes. The seeds are used as sex stimulants, aphrodisiac. The leaves are used to cure external burns and ringworm. The roots of ''Rumex maritimus'' are used to cure skin diseases. ''Rumex maritimus'' is used for foods; for example, seeds are ground into powder and are used for porridge.
The leaves are cooked as a vegetable.
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Rumex fueginus''€”''formerly classified as Rumex maritimus''.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q164125
maritimus
Flora of Canada
Flora of Mexico
Flora of the Eastern United States
Flora of the Western United States
Flora of California
Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Flora without expected TNC conservation status