''Rumex bucephalophorus'', also known as horned, red, or ruby dock is an annual herbaceous plant that is part of the family

Polygonaceae The Polygonaceae are a family of flowering plants known informally as the knotweed family or smartweed—buckwheat family in the United States. The name is based on the genus ''Polygonum'', and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 ...

. The scientific name ''Rumex bucephalophorus'' was first described and published by

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

in 1753 in ''

Species Plantarum ' (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial names and was the ...

.'' Other scientific names have also been given to ''Rumex bucephalophorus'' such as ''Bucephalophora aculeata'' and ''Lapathum bucephalophorum''. ''R. bucephalophorus'' is most commonly found in subcoastal or coastal regions, but also are "casual aliens", few and far between, among inland populations. ''Rumex bucephalophorus'' is native to the

Mediterranean Basin In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and w ...

and grows best in areas with little human intervention.

Description

The stems of ''R. bucephalophorus'' are thin and branch off the base of the plant about 5 to 50 centimeters long. The leaves of the plant vary as they can be circular and

ovate Ovate may refer to: *Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe *Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd *Vates In modern English, the nouns vates () and ovat ...

or lengthened and lancelate anywhere in between. The pedicels are known to be heteromorphic often distinguishing this plant from others. Flowers are often found in groups of 2 to 3 in clusters and are also often heteromorphic. Like its leaves, the flowers of ''R. bucephalophorus'' often vary greatly but are generally triangular and 2–4 mm long. The ''Rumex bucephalophorus'' flowers appear red and blossom between the months of December and May.

Distribution

The genus ''Rumex'' is mostly distributed throughout North America and Europe. However, ''Rumex bucephalophorus'' flourishes in habitats that are quite sandy and rocky therefore it often is found by the sea''.'' The Atlantic coast of southwestern Europe, the northwestern region of

Macaronesia Macaronesia (Portuguese: ''Macaronésia,'' Spanish: ''Macaronesia'') is a collection of four volcanic archipelagos in the North Atlantic, off the coasts of Africa and Europe. Each archipelago is made up of a number of List of islands in the At ...

and

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

, and the coastlands of the

are where ''R. bucephalophorus'' is most widely distributed.

Subspecies

''Rumex bucephalophorus'' is unique as it is a polymorphic species resulting in 8 different

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

as well as dozens of variants and subvariants. * ''Rumex bucephalophorus'' ssp. ''aegaeus'' * ''Rumex bucephalophorus'' ssp. ''bucephalophorus'' * ''Rumex bucephalophorus'' ssp. ''canariensis'' * ''Rumex bucephalophorus'' ssp. ''graecus'' * ''Rumex bucephalophorus'' ssp. ''fruticescens'' * ''Rumex bucephalophorus'' ssp. ''gallicus'' * ''Rumex bucephalophorus'' ssp. ''hipporegii'' * ''Rumex bucephalophorus'' ssp. ''hispanicus''

Uses

''R. bucephalophorus'' does not have any known uses, but it is an edible plant. There is a danger, however, because its leaves contain a high level of

oxalic acid Oxalic acid is an organic acid with the systematic name ethanedioic acid and formula . It is the simplest dicarboxylic acid. It is a white crystalline solid that forms a colorless solution in water. Its name comes from the fact that early inve ...

that can be potentially dangerous in large amounts. This

gives the leaves an acid-lemon flavor.

References

External links

* * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q4887028 bucephalophorus Flora of Malta