Rumex mexicanus
| Rumex mexicanus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Rumex mexicanus (common name: mexican 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, preferring a moist moderately fertile well-drained soil in a sunny position.
Plants succeed outdoors at Cambridge Botanical gardens and are growing well in Cornwall[K].
Range: Western N. America - Newfoundland to British Columbia, south to Maine, Texas and Mexico.
Habitat: Rich soils, occasionally brackish[1].
Edibility: Young leaves - cooked[2][3][4][5]. Used as greens[6].
Seed - cooked or ground into a powder and used for making gruel or added to cereal flours and used for making bread[4][5]. The seed is rather small and fiddly to harvest.
Medicinal: An infusion of the leaves has been taken by childless women to help them become pregnant[6].
A strong infusion of the root has been used to help a woman become pregnant[6]. The infusion was taken four times a day (upon rising, at midday, at sunset and upon going to bed) for a month[6].
An infusion of the leaves has been used in the treatment of sore throats[6].
A decoction of the white root has been used to regulate the menstrual cycle[6]. There is a suggestion that it was used to facilitate an abortion.
A decoction of the red root has been used to treat fevers[6].
A poultice of the crushed root has been used to treat burns[6].
A decoction of the plant has been used to treat intestinal disorders and liver complaints[6]. A decoction of the plant has been used externally to treat swellings and painful joints[6].
Usage: The dried, crushed roots have been used as a tinder[6].
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.
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-
Also Known As: R. salicifolius mexicanus. (Meisn.)C.L.Hitchc.
Links
References
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.