Rumex bucephalophorus

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Rumex bucephalophorus
Rumex bucephalophorus RF.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Rumex
Species:
R. bucephalophorus
Binomial name
Rumex bucephalophorus
L.

Rumex bucephalophorus, also known as horned, red, or ruby dock is an annual herbaceous plant that is part of the family Polygonaceae. [1] The scientific name Rumex bucephalophorus was first described and published by Linnaeus in 1753 in Species Plantarum. [1] Other scientific names have also been given to Rumex bucephalophorus such as Bucephalophora aculeata and Lapathum bucephalophorum. [1] R. bucephalophorus is most commonly found in subcoastal or coastal regions, but also are "casual aliens", few and far between, among inland populations. [2] Rumex bucephalophorus is native to the Mediterranean Basin and grows best in areas with little human intervention. [3]

Contents

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 or lengthened and lancelate anywhere in between. [1] The pedicels are known to be heteromorphic often distinguishing this plant from others. [1] Flowers are often found in groups of 2 to 3 in clusters and are also often heteromorphic. [1] Like its leaves, the flowers of R. bucephalophorus often vary greatly but are generally triangular and 2–4 mm long. [1]

The Rumex bucephalophorus flowers appear red and blossom between the months of December and May. [4]

Distribution

The genus Rumex is mostly distributed throughout North America and Europe. [2] However, Rumex bucephalophorus flourishes in habitats that are quite sandy and rocky therefore it often is found by the sea. [4] The Atlantic coast of southwestern Europe, the northwestern region of Macaronesia and Morocco, and the coastlands of the Mediterranean Basin are where R. bucephalophorus is most widely distributed. [2]

Subspecies

Rumex bucephalophorus is unique as it is a polymorphic species resulting in 8 different subspecies as well as dozens of variants and subvariants. [5]

Uses

R. bucephalophorus does not have any known uses, but it is an edible plant. [4] There is a danger, however, because its leaves contain a high level of oxalic acid that can be potentially dangerous in large amounts. [4] This oxalic acid gives the leaves an acid-lemon flavor. [4]

Related Research Articles

Sorrel Flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae

Sorrel, also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock.

<i>Rumex</i> Genus of plants

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 distribution, and introduced species growing in the few places where the genus is not native.

<i>Rumex crispus</i> Species of flowering plant

Rumex crispus, the curly dock, curled dock or yellow dock, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae, native to Europe and Western Asia.

<i>Mahonia</i> Genus of flowering plants belonging to the barberry family

Mahonia is a genus of approximately 70 species of evergreen shrubs and, rarely, small trees in the family Berberidaceae, native to eastern Asia, the Himalaya, North and Central America. They are closely related to the genus Berberis and botanists disagree on whether to recognize a separate Mahonia. Many botanists prefer to classify Mahonia as a part of Berberis because several species in both genera are able to hybridize, and because there are no consistent morphological differences between the two groups other than the leaf pinnation. However, recent DNA-based phylogenetic studies retain the two separate genera, by clarifying that unifoliolate-leaved Berberis s.s. is derived from within a paraphyletic group of shrubs bearing imparipinnate evergreen leaves, which are then divided into three genera: Mahonia, Alloberberis, and Moranothamnus ; a broadly-circumscribed Berberis would also be monophyletic.

<i>Rumex obtusifolius</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae

Rumex obtusifolius, commonly known as bitter dock, broad-leaved dock, bluntleaf dock, dock leaf or butter dock, is a perennial plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is native to Europe, but is found on all temperate continents. It is a highly invasive species in some zones, resulting from its abundant seed dispersal, adaptability to reproduce, aggressive roots, ability to tolerate extreme climates, and hardiness.

<i>Rumex acetosella</i> Species of flowering plant

Rumex acetosella, commonly known as red sorrel, sheep's sorrel, field sorrel and sour weed, is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae. Native to Eurasia and the British Isles, the plant and its subspecies are common perennial weeds. It has green arrowhead-shaped leaves and red-tinted deeply ridged stems, and it sprouts from an aggressive and spreading rhizome. The flowers emerge from a tall, upright stem. Female flowers are maroon in color.

<i>Rheum</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Rheum is a genus of about 60 herbaceous perennial plants in the family Polygonaceae. Species are native to eastern Europe, southern and eastern temperate Asia, with a few reaching into northern tropical Asia. Rheum is cultivated in Europe and North America. The genus includes the vegetable rhubarb. The species have large somewhat triangular shaped leaves with long, fleshy petioles. The flowers are small, greenish-white to rose-red, and grouped in large compound leafy inflorescences. A number of cultivars of rhubarb have been domesticated both as medicinal plants and for human consumption. While the leaves are slightly toxic, the stalks are used in pies and other foods for their tart flavor.

<i>Rumex maritimus</i> Species of flowering plant

Rumex maritimus, commonly called golden dock, bristle dock, or seashore dock, is an annual plant species of the genus Rumex. 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.

<i>Calligonum</i> Genus of flowering plants

Calligonum is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America.

<i>Rumex graminifolius</i> Species of sorrel

Rumex graminifolius, common name grassleaf sorrel, is a species of the genus Rumex and the knotweed family Polygonaceae.

<i>Rumex hispanicus</i> Species of herb

Rumex hispanicus, common name maiden sorrel or mountain dock, is a leafy perennial herb in the family Polygonaceae.

<i>Rumex aquaticus</i> Species of flowering plant

Rumex aquaticus is a flowering plant in the knotweed family, Polygonaceae. It is native to temperate Eurasia. It is commonly known as the Western Dock found in aquatic environments.

<i>Rumex sanguineus</i> Species of flowering plant

Rumex sanguineus, commonly known as wood dock, bloody dock or red-veined dock, is a perennial flowering plant species in the family Polygonaceae. Rumex sanguineus is a dicot and can be observed in Europe with at least two varieties.

<i>Rumex fueginus</i> Species of flowering plant

Rumex fueginus, known as American dock, golden dock, and Tierra del Fuego dock, is a flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae. Rumex fueginus was first formally named by Rodolfo Armando Phillipi. Rumex fueginus is native from Canada in northern North America to Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America. It has previously been considered a subspecies or variety of Rumex maritimus, a Eurasian species.

<i>Rumex hastatulus</i> Species of flowering plant

Rumex hastatulus, commonly known as the heartwing sorrel, is an annual flowering plant species in the family Polygonaceae otherwise known as the buckwheat family. It is found spread out through the eastern and southern United States.

Rumex utahensis is a flowering plant species in the family Polygonaceae. The common name for this species is Utah dock. It is a dicot, perennial herb that is native to the United states, growing only in the West.

<i>Rumex occidentalis</i> Species of flowering plant

Rumex occidentalis is a flowering plant species belonging to the family Polygonaceae. Commonly known as western dock, Rumex occidentalis can be found in parts of Western North America.

Rumex lapponicus, known commonly as Lapland mountain sorrel is a perennial flowering herb species in the family Polygonaceae. It is commonly found in meadows and rock outcrops, as well as montane, arenicolous, and alluvial habitats.

Rumex floridanus is a perennial flowering plant, in the family Polygonaceae. The common name for this species is Florida dock.

<i>Rumex cuneifolius</i> Species of flowering plant

Rumex cuneifolius is a flowering plant species in the family Polygonaceae.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Rumex bucephalophorus in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  2. 1 2 3 Talavera, Maria (December 2011). "Molecular phylogeny and systematics of the highly polymorphic Rumex bucephalophorus complex (Polygonaceae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 61 (3): 659–70. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.08.005. PMID   21864695.
  3. Talavera, María (12 July 2012). "Evolution of dispersal traits in a biogeographical context: a study using the heterocarpic Rumex bucephalophorus as a model". Journal of Ecology. 100 (5): 1194–1203. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2012.01999.x .
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Rumex bucephalophorus red dock PFAF Plant Database". pfaf.org. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  5. "Tropicos | Name - Rumex bucephalophorus L." www.tropicos.org. Retrieved 2019-10-03.