''Rumex longifolius'', commonly known as the dooryard dock or northern dock, is a perennial species of plant in 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 ...

''. A

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

has been described: * ''Rumex longifolius'' var. ''nanus''

Description

''Rumex longifolius'' is a perennial plant that grows to a height of . It has large, broad leaves, the edges of which are crinkled and undulating. The upper surface of the leaves is hairless and the under surface hairy beside the veins. The stems are erect, tough, and unbranched until just below the

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 ...

. The junctions of the stems are covered by two fused stipules which form an

ochrea An ochrea (Latin ''ocrea'', greave or protective legging), also spelled ocrea, is a plant structure formed of stipules fused into a sheath surrounding the stem, and is typically found in the Polygonaceae The Polygonaceae are a family of flower ...

, a thin, paper-like sheath - a characteristic 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 ...

, and fringed above in this species. The stem leaves are alternate and are narrowly ovate–lanceolate and have a rounded or tapered base. The leaf stalks are approximately the same length as the leaf blade. The inflorescence consists of large clusters of

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

s which contain small greenish

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s that are bisexual. The perianth-segments are in two whorls of three. Segments in the outer whorl are small and spreading while the inner whorl forms the fruit valves, which are rounded or kidney-shaped and have either entire edges or crinkly ones. Each flower has six stamens, a pistil consisting of three fused carpels and three styles. The fruit is a glossy brown nut with a triangular cross section. This plant blooms from July to September.

Distribution and habitat

''Rumex longifolius'' is native to Europe, including Britain, from Scandinavia southwards and eastwards to the Pyrenees, the Caucasus, Western and Central Asia. It chiefly grows in open areas such as on roadsides, in arable fields and in damp grassy places.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q3479283 longifolius Flora of Europe Flora of Central Asia Flora of Western Asia Flora of the Pyrenees Flora of the Caucasus Flora of Korea