Rumex obtusifolius
| Rumex obtusifolius | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Fall |
| Meadows Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Rumex obtusifolius (common name: round-leaved dock)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in situ.
Division in spring.
Cultivation: Requires a good soil[1].
Plants are occasionally cultivated for their edible leaves[2].
A very important food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterfly[3].
This species is an alternative host of the turnip fly[1].
Range: Western Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, Germany and Hungary.
Habitat: Waste ground, hedgerows and field margins[4]. A common weed of cultivated land on acid or calcareous soils[5].
Edibility: Young leaves - cooked[6][7][8][2]. A bitter taste, especially if the older leaves are used[9][10]. The leaves are usually cooked in at least one change of water in order to reduce the bitterness[10]. Leaves can also be dried for later use[5]. The leaves have a much milder flavour when they are first produced in early spring[K].
Young stems - cooked[11].
Seed - raw or cooked[12][13]. The seed can also be ground into a powder and used to make a gruel or added to cereal flours when making bread etc[12]. It is rather small and fiddly to harvest.
Medicinal: The leaves are often applied externally as a rustic remedy in the treatment of blisters, burns and scalds[1][14].
The root contains tannin and is astringent and blood purifier[11]. A tea made from the roots has been used in the treatment of jaundice, whooping cough, boils and bleeding[1][11]. An infusion of the root has been used as a wash, especially for children, to treat skin eruptions[11]. One report says that the root has been used as a contraceptive to stop menstruation[11]. The root is harvested in early spring and dried for later use[1].
Usage: Yellow, dark green to brown and dark grey dyes can be obtained from the roots of this plant[14][15]. They do not need a mordant[15].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Mid 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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Loewenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles.
- ↑ Ceres. Free for All. Thorsons Publishers, 1977.
- ↑ Douglas, James. Alternative Foods.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Kavasch, Barrie. Native Harvests. Vintage Books, 1979.
- ↑ Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Hylton, Josie and William Holtom. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press, 1979.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.