Rumex venosus
| Rumex venosus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Rumex venosus (common name: sour greens)
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].
Range: North-western N. America - Wisconsin to Montana.
Habitat: Sandy soils[2].
Edibility: Young leaves - cooked[3][4][5]. Used as greens.
Young stems - cooked[3][4][5]. Used like rhubarb[6].
Medicinal: The root is astringent, blood purifier and tonic[6]. A decoction has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea, coughs and colds, influenza, pneumonia, stomach aches, kidney disorders, gall bladder problems, venereal disease and rheumatism[6]. An infusion has been given to women to help them expel the afterbirth[6]. The root can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a dressing on burns, wounds, sores etc[7][6]. A poultice can also be made from the fresh root for use on burns, wounds, sores, swellings etc[7][6].
An infusion of the stems and leaves has been used as a wash on sores[6].
Usage: A yellow dye is obtained from the root[7]. The roots are peeled, broken into sections about 25mm long, then spread out thinly in a sunny position until very dry. They are then soaked in water for a few days before being boiled in the same water for a long time. Alum is then added to fix the colour[6]. A red dye is obtained if ashes are added and it turns black if the bark of Cornus stolonifera is also added[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-
Links
References
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.