Rumex arcticus
| Rumex arcticus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Rumex arcticus (common name: arctic dock)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring.
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of this country. It is a plant of wet soils.
Range: N. Europe.
Habitat: Marshes in N. Russia.
Edibility: Tender young leaves and stems - raw or cooked[1][2][3][4]. An acid flavour, they are sometimes used like rhubarb[5]. They are also cooked as greens or eaten raw in salads[5]. A good source of vitamins A and C[5].
Seed - raw or cooked[6].
Medicinal: The astringent leaves and stems have been used in the treatment of diarrhoea[5].
Usage: Although no specific mention has been made for this species, dark green to brown and dark grey dyes can be obtained from the roots of many species in this genus, They do not need a mordant[7].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Plants can contain quite high levels of oxalic acid, which is what gives the leaves of many members of this genus an acid-lemon flavour. Perfectly alright in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since the oxalic acid can lock-
Links
References
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.