(/Uiftnac/ acuù/j.
üM ex A cutus . Sh a r p -Poi n t e d D ock.
rUMÊX Linn. Gen. H e Xà n d r ia T r ig y n ia .
, Cal. 3-phyllus. Petaila 3-conniveïitia. Semen triquetrum.
Rail Syn. Gen. 5 . H er bæ f l o r e im p e r f e c t o seu st am in eo v e l a p é t à l o p o t iü s -.
RUMEX acutus floribus hermaphroditis; valvulis dentatis graniferis, foliis cordato oblongis acuminatis-.
Linn. Syß. Veg. p. 285. Sp. PL p. 4 7 8 . Fl. Suec. n. 316.
LAPATHUM petiolo latefcente, foliis lanceolatis, calyce ferrato. Haller Hiß. n. 1591.
LAPATHUM acutum. Scopolip. 292.
LAPATHUM folio acutô piano. Bauh. Pin. 115.
LAPATHUM acutum. Ger. emac. 388. -
LAPATHUM acutum feu Oxylapathum. j . Bauh. II. 983.
LAPATHUM acûtum majus. Park. 1224. Rail Syn. p. 132. Sharp-Pointed Dock-.
HudfonJl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 155. Lightfoot Fl. Scot, p s 188.
IX perennis, craflitie digiti minimi aut major, in ,
I terram profunde penetrans nec facile extra- (
henda, limplex in junioribus, in adultis ra- i
inofa, foris e flavo fufca, cortice interne fla- <
vefcente, medulla albida. <1
;LIS bipedalis ad tripedalem, craflitie pennte ah- 1
ferinas, teres, ftriatus, rubens, ramofus, fu- ,
perne flexuofus, rigid us5 geniculis flipulis ,
obfoletis te&is. 1
II cauli fimiles, patentes, longiufculi, inferne fö- <
I liofi. ■ ‘ !
§A inferiora oblongo-ovata, acuta, bafi fubcor- '
data, plana, longitudine unciarum quinque, ■
latitudine duarum, margine crenulato-crifp^, j
fubtus fibris plurimis minute- reticulata, cau- (
lina fsepius undulata, attamen multo minus <
quam-in rumice crifpo. •• <
RES parvi, numerofi, circa ramulos femiverticil- I
latim difpofiti, idque alterne, penduli. ^
t ’ , : ■ I
pNCULI filiformes, ad bafin geniculati. Q
P :P e rianthi-um triphyllum, foliolis minimis, f
fubfetaceis, concavis, rigidulis, perfiftentibus.‘ |
|)LLA Stamina et Pijlillum, cum nullam notam |
pnebeant huic fpeciei peculiarem, ad valvu- X
ïas.fémen maturum continentes praeterimus, \
I quibus certe et facile diftinguitur fpecies.
minimas fi ad valvulas a.liorum Rumicum §
noftratium comparantur, calyce duplo longi- 9
or?Vobl°bgte, obtufiufculae, integerrimae, f
unlcS idque ex teriore Temper granifera, reli- a
quis plerumque nudis, ex apice granulte per X
medium valvulas decurrit linea prominula et §
Utrinque venae aliquot ope lentis folummodo §
diftinguipoflunt; Granules primum oblongae, 9
demum rotundas, prom-inulas, in umbrofis f
pallidas, in apricis ruberrimae. Ï
RO OT perennial, the thicknefs of the little finger, or
l-N unicum, triquetrum,'flavefcens, , è
« 2. .Corolfa. 3. Stamina. 4. Piflillum. § 5* Valvulte cum granulis. immaturis. 6. 9 bemen. ■ f
larger, penetrating deeply into the earth, and
not eafily drawn out, in the young ones Ample,
in the full-grown ones branched, externally
of a yellowifh brown colour; the infide
of the bark yellowifh, the pith whitifh.
STA LK from two to three feet high, the thicknefs of
a goofe-quill, round, flriated, reddifh, branched,
on the upper part. crooked, rigid, the
- joints covered with obfolete flip ulas.
BRANCHES like the ftalk, fpreading, longifh, on the
lower part leafy.
LEAVES at the bottom of the {talk o f an oblong, oval
fhape, pointed, at the bafe fomewhat heart-
fhaped, flat; about five inches in length and
•two in breadth, the edge notched, and fomewhat
curled, underneath finely reticulated
with numerous fibres, thofe on the ftalk
ufually waved, but much lefs fo than in the
curled dock. .
FLOWERS fmall, numerous, difpofed about the
branches in half whirls, and that alternately,
hanging down.
FLOWER-STALKS filiform, with a joint at the bafev
C A L YX : a P e r ia n t h 'ium compofed of-three leaves;
which are very fmall, narrow, pointed, hollow,
fomewhat rigid and permanent.
COROLLA Stamina and Piflillum having nothing in
them very peculiar, we pafs oh to the valves
containing the ripe feed, which afford the
principal marks characterizing this fpecies.*.
VALVES very fmall if compared with the valves of
our other Docks, twice the length of the calyx,
oblong, bluntifh, entire at the edge, one
and that the outer one always bearing a granule,
the others generally naked, from the
top of the granule through the middle of the
valve runs a prominent Tine, on each fide of
which, by the help of a 'glafs only, may be
difeerned a few veins; Granulesat firft oblong,
finally becoming round and prominent, in the
fhade pallid, in expofed fituatiohs very red.
SEED Angle, three-cornered, and yellowifh.
Fig. 1. The Calyx. 2. the Corolla. 3. the Stamina;
4. the Piflillum. £. the Valves with the
granules unripe. the Seed.
W u acu^us> Rumex maritimus, is a plant by no-means well underflood, either by Botanifls
lea - j 1 ^lcir turn nuftulte it for fome other fpecies; this I (hould not affert, had I not'
Ihi fBt • a”Ges fuch naiflakes: fortunately it has a chara&er which need only to be pointed out to
°^v*ous as any plant in nature, and this is the fmallnefs of its feed-valves, which are uni-
L ealtw ice as fmall as thole of any of our other Docks ; the fpecies to which the Rumex acutus at firft
fty h e-^re^te^ reTemblance, are the crifpus, the pulcher, and the maritimus, the.firft of thefe is charafle-
lliid V|"g.lts leaves very, much curled, its feed-valves almoft round, entire, and very large, fo that they
t a i l stanches ; in this the leaves are much lefs curled, the feed-valves; although entire at the edge
k0|e J ras.nnall as in the Crifpus they are large, a'nd inftead of being rcundifh are of an oblong fhape,
ced flt,1S m° re ^ne an<^ ^e*'cate an^ the branches more fpreading; from the pulcher and maritimus,
iar aipIr?guifhcd, by ha ving the ed-ges of its valves entire, which in thofe are-toothed.
Itows^ l l not confined to any particular place of growth, it is found not only in woods, .
well.pnd • £>es’ but alfo by the Tides of rivers and roads ; in fields and meadows it is lefs frequent;
|in-no-rer°VA r ^ Pre^ent a good habitat for it ; it flowers in June and July. The Rumex fanguincus
Variety1 Gl!P® ■ from the prefent plant, but in the colour of its veins, bn this account I confider it merely
t*iat T)ock here figured fhould be thus^pointed out, as it is an, officinal plant, and
; • e‘u) in the cure of fcorbutic and cutaneous diforders, both exhibited internally, and applied
mtments, cataplafms, and fomentations. ,