Rumex patienta
| Rumex patienta | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 5' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Rumex patienta (common name: herb patience)
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: A very easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils, preferring a moist moderately fertile well-drained soil in a sunny position[1].
Formerly cultivated for its edible leaves[2][3][4][5], these can be available in early February if the winter is mild[K].
An important food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterfly[6].
Range: Europe. Naturalized in a few places in Britain[7].
Habitat: Waste land[7].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[2][3][8][4][9]. Eaten like spinach or made into a delicious puree, they are often mixed with a quarter part of sorrel in order to add flavour to them[10]. A fairly mild flavour[10], they make an excellent vegetable[K]. The leaves are produced very early in the year[11].
Medicinal: The juice, and an infusion of the root, has been used as a poultice and salve in the treatment of various skin problems[12].
An infusion of the root has been used in the treatment of constipation[12].
The leaves have been rubbed in the mouth to treat sore throats[12].
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[13].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
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 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thompson, Robert. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son, 1878.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ Carter, David. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan, 1982.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Vilmorin-Andrieux. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.