Rumex brownii
| Rumex brownii | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Early Fall-Late Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Rumex brownii (common name: swamp 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: Succeeds in most soils but prefers a deep fertile moderately heavy soil that is humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained and a position in full-sun or part shade[1].
This species is sometimes introduced into Britain via bales of wool from Australia and it then persists for a few years[2].
Range: Australia - New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria. Casual in Britain[2].
Habitat: Moist places such as the banks of creeks, often in clay soils, in the montane and sub-alpine zones[3]. Often found as a weed of damp lawns and pastures in Australia[4].
Edibility: Leaves - cooked[5]. The leaves can be up to 30cm long and, cooked with their midrib removed, they make a fine substitute for leaf beet[4].
The roasted root is a coffee substitute[4]
Usage: A rich yellow dye is obtained from the root if it is fixed with alum[4].
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[6].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
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
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Ewart, Alfred. Recording Census of the Victorian Flora. 1923.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Low, Tim. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson, 1989.
- ↑ Cribb, Alan and Joan Cribb. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana, 1976.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.