Curly dock – Rumex crispus
Curly dock
Rumex crispus L.
Polygonaceae (Smartweed family)
Life cycle
Erect, taprooted simple perennial.
Leaves
Alternate, long and narrow with round to pointed tips and wavy margins. Leaves are shaped like bacon strips.
Stems
Forms a basal rosette that bolts prior to flowering, unbranched, reaching 3 to 4 feet in height. A membranous sheath (ocrea) surrounds the stem at the base of
each petiole.
Flowers and fruit
Flowers are small, usually greenish and found in clusters on the upper stems, becoming reddish brown at maturity. The seed is enclosed in a single-seeded, shiny, reddish brown, three-sided fruit.
Reproduction
Seeds and fleshy taproot.
Similar weeds
Broadleaf dock (R. obtusifolius L.)
Differs by having much wider, broader leaves and usually heart-shaped leaf bases.
