Rumex hydrolapathum
| Rumex hydrolapathum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 6.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 6' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Rumex hydrolapathum (common name: great water dock)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in situ.
Division in spring.
Cultivation: Requires a moist or wet soil, also succeeding in shallow water. Avoids acid conditions in the wild.
A very important food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterfly[1].
Range: Western Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, Italy and S. Russia.
Habitat: Near ponds and streams, also in shallow water, avoiding acid conditions[2].
Edibility: Young leaves - cooked[3][4][5].
Seed - raw or cooked. It can be ground into a powder and used as a flour[6]. The seed is small and rather fiddly to harvest.
Medicinal: The root is antiscorbutic and strongly astringent[7]. It is harvested in early spring and dried for later use[7].
The green leaves are said to be an excellent application for ulcers of the eyes[7].
Usage: The roots contain tannin. In cultivated plants, those grown on dry land contained 6 - 8% tannin whilst those grown in water contained 12.4 - 21.6%[8].
The dried and powdered root makes a good tooth cleaner[7].
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[9].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
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
- ↑ Carter, David. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan, 1982.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Kavasch, Barrie. Native Harvests. Vintage Books, 1979.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Rottsieper, E. Vegetable Tannins. The Forestal Land, 1946.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.