R U M E X aquaticus.
Great Water Dock.
HEXANDRIA Trigynia.
G en. Char. C al. 3-leaved. P ela ls 3 , closed. Seed l ,
superior, naked, triangular. Stigmas many-cleft.
Spec. Char. Valves ovate, entire, bearing small grains.
Leaves lanceolate, acute; the lower ones heart-
shaped at the base.
v Syn. Rumex aquaticus. L in n . Sp. P I. 479. Sm.
F I. B r it. 394. H ull. ed. 2 . 102. L igh t/. 190.
Relh. 144.
R. Hydrolapathum. Huds. 154. With. 3 5 5 . Sibth.
118. Abbot. 82. Woodv. Med. Bot. t. 178.
Lapathum maximum aquaticum, sive Hydrolapathum.
R a ii Syn. 140.
W e know no.t why there should have been any difficulty in
determining the synonyms of this plant, which is clearly the
R. aquaticus of Linnaeus. The paludosus of Hudson seems
to be a variety of i t ; but no one has ascertained exactly what
he intended.
This is by far the largest of our Docks, and grows abundantly
in watery places, having a large knobby perennial root,
the stem rising to the height of 4 or 5 feet. The leaves are
somewhat glaucous, lanceolate, acute and entire; the lower
ones heart-shaped at the base. The flowers come forth copiously
in July and August, and the large brown shining seeds
remain long, in rather close drooping whorls. The permanent
petals are ovate, veiny, entire, rarely somewhat toothed,
each bearing a small oblong reddish grain, varying in size
occasionally in one of them.
The root is very astringent, and the late Sir John Hill recommended
it as a medicine of. great efficacy in the scurvy.
Linnaeus was of the same opinion, and brought it into extensive
use in Sweden. Perhaps it is too common to be
much esteemed amongst us.
2m