Rumex vesicarius
| Rumex vesicarius | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Rumex vesicarius (common name: bladder 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.
Cultivation: Succeeds in most soils, preferring a moist moderately fertile well-drained soil in a sunny position[1].
Cultivated for its edible leaves in Indonesia and occasionally sold in local markets there[2].
Range: S. Europe - Greece. W. Asia. N. Africa.
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[3][4][5]. An acid flavour[2], they are used like sorrel as a flavouring in salads or as a spinach[6].
Medicinal: The leaves are aperient, astringent, diuretic and cooling[7].
The seed is cooling. It is roasted and used in the treatment of dysentery[7].
The juice of the plant is cooling[7]. It is useful in treating heat of the stomach, to allay the pain of toothache and, by its astringent properties, to check nausea[7].
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[8].
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-
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References
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.