Curled Dock - Citizendia

Rumex crispus

Conservation status

Secure

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Polygonaceae
Genus:	Rumex
Species:	R. The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Dicotyledons, or "dicots", is a name for a group of Flowering plants whose Seed typically has two embryonic leaves or Cotyledons There Caryophyllales is an order of Flowering plants that includes the cacti, carnations Amaranths Ice plants and most Polygonaceae is a family of flowering plants also known as the "knotweed family" or "smartweed family" The docks and sorrels, Genus Rumex L, are a genus of about 200 species of annual, biennial and perennial crispus

Binomial name

Rumex crispus
L.

Curled Dock (Rumex crispus), also known as Curly Dock or Yellow Dock, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae, native to Europe and western Asia. Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for A perennial plant or perennial ( Latin per, "through" annus, "year" is a Plant that lives for more than The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Polygonaceae is a family of flowering plants also known as the "knotweed family" or "smartweed family"

The mature plant is a reddish brown colour, and produces a stalk that grows to about 1 m high. It has smooth leaves shooting off from a large basal rosette, with distinctive waved or curled edges. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. On the stalk flowers and seeds are produced in clusters on branched stems, with the largest cluster being found at the apex. The seeds are shiny, brown and encased in the calyx of the flower that produced them. A sepal (from Latin separatus "separate" + petalum "petal" is a part of the flower of Angiosperms or flower plants This casing enables the seeds to float on water and get caught in wool and animal fur, and this helps the seeds to spread to new locations. ^[1] The root-structure is a large, a yellow, forking taproot. A Plant 's taproot is a straight tapering Root that grows vertically down

Curled Dock grows in roadsides, all types of fields, and low-maintenance crops. It prefers rich, moist and heavy soils.

Distribution

Curled Dock is a widespread naturalised species throughout the temperate world, which has become a serious invasive species in many areas, including throughout North America, southern South America, New Zealand and parts of Australia. In Biology, naturalisation is the process when foreign or cultivated plants or animals have spread into the Wild, where they multiply by natural regeneration Introduced species|Weed Invasive species is a phrase with several definitions South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. It spreads through the seeds contaminating crop seeds, and sticking to clothing. It is designated an "injurious weed" under the UK Weeds Act 1959[1]. It is often seen in disturbed soils at the edges of roadsides, railroad beds, and parking lots.

Uses and toxicity

It can be used as a wild leaf vegetable; the young leaves should be boiled in several changes of water to remove as much of the oxalic acid in the leaves as possible, or can be added directly to salads in moderate amounts. Oxalic acid is the Chemical compound with the formula H2C2O4 This Dicarboxylic acid is better described with the ^[2] Once the plant matures it becomes too bitter to consume. Dock leaves are an excellent source of both vitamine A and protein, and are rich in iron and potassium. Curly Dock leaves are somewhat tart due to the presence of high levels of oxalic acid, and although quite palatable, this plant should only be consumed in moderation as it can irritate the urinary tract and increase the risk of developing kidney stones. Kidney stones, also called renal calculi, are solid concretions (crystal aggregations of dissolved minerals in Urine; calculi typically form

The roots have also been used medicinally as an astringent, tonic, and laxative. An astringent (also spelled adstringent) substance is a chemical that tends to shrink or constrict Body tissues usually locally after Topical medicinal Laxatives (or purgatives) are foods compounds or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool most often taken to treat Constipation. Compounds contained in the plants roots have been clinically verified to bind with heavy metals such as lead and arsenic and expel them from the body by stimulating biliary function in the liver. The plant is considered a highly effective blood cleanser and is used by herbalists to assist the body in eliminating heavy metals and to treat other hepatic disorders. ^[3] ^[4]

References

^ Richard H. Uva, Joseph C. Neal and Joseph M. Ditomaso, Weeds of The Northeast, (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997), Pp. 286-287.
^ Lee Allen Peterson, Edible Wild Plants, (New York City: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977), p. 154.
^ A Modern Herbal: Docks
^ Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West, Gregory L. Tilford, ISBN 0-87842-359-1

Edible and Medicinal plants of the West, Gregory L. Tilford, ISBN 0-87842-359-1

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