Curly Dock

(Rumex crispus L.)

Interesting Information About Plant:  

Curly Dock is a species of plant that originated in Europe. The species scientific name is rumex crispus, and crispus in latin means curly while the word dock describes the solid part of an animals tail and “to dock” a tail is to remove it. The plant has been used since around 500 B.C. for medicinal reasons, most of which are based on the plants roots. A poultice from the roots has been used for iron-deficiency anemia, blood purifying and liver decongestant, and it remedies constipation and syphilis. The seeds of curly dock were once roasted and used as a coffee substitute. The main uses of the curly dock plant today would be for food since the leaves, stalk, and the seeds are all edible. The leaves can be used in salads, just a cooked vegetable, or put into soup, but wash the really young leaves because they contain a chemical which can numb your tongue. Curly Dock is very nutritious and can put up some stiff competition to other vegetables in terms of fiber and vitamin A. The plant grows in moist areas which explains why it is found by Bellarmine Creek.

Common Name(s): Broadleaf dock, Rumex

Scientific Name: Rumex crispus L.

Family Name (Scientific and Common): Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family)

Continent of Origin: Europe and Asia

Plant Growth Habit: Upright Herbaceous

Height at Maturity: Between 1- 3 Feet

Life Span: Perennial

Seasonal Habit: Herbaceous That May Stay Green Through Winter

Growth Habitat: Full Sun

Manner of Culture: Weed

Thorns on Younger Stem: No

Cross Section of Younger Stem: Roundish

Stem (or Trunk) Diameter: Between The Diameter of a Pencil and a Broom-Handle

Produces Brownish Bark: No

Bark Peeling in Many Areas: No

Characteristics of Mature (Brownish) Bark: No Mature Bark (all green)

Type of Leaf: Flat, Thin Leaf

Length of Leaf (or Leaflet): Longer Than a Writing Pen

Leaf Complexity: Simple

Edge of Leaf: Very Slightly Serrated

Leaf Arrangement: Alternate

Leaf has Petiole: Yes, becomes Reddish in Autumn  

Patterns of Main-Veins on Leaf (or Leaflet): Pinnate

Leaf Hairiness: No Hairs

Color of Foliage in Summer: Green

Change in Color of Foliage in October: Not Much Change, but Petioles become Reddish

Flowering Season: Summer

Flowers: Tightly Clustered 

Type of Flower: Colorful

Color of Flower: Green or Red

Shape of Individual Flower: Radially Symmetrical 

Size of Individual Flower: Smaller than a Quarter

Sexuality: Hermaphroditic Flower  

Size of Fruit: Smaller than a Quarter 

Fruit Fleshiness: Dry

Shape of Fruit: Spherical   

Color of Fruit at Maturity: Reddish-Brown    

Fruit Desirable to Birds or Squirrels: Yes   

Louisville Plants That Are Most Easily Confused With This One: Broadleaf Dock, Red Sorrel

Unique Morphological Features of Plant: Has an Ocrea (Membranous or Papery Sheath Wrapped around Leaf Nodes); Leaf Nodes are Swollen;

Poisonous: Leaves if not cooked properly   

Pestiness (weedy, hard to control): Yes  

             

Page prepared by:

Noelle Lewis

November 2004