*Rumex crispus

Family Polygonaceae

Curled Dock

Glabrous, perennial herb to 1.5 m high, with a thick underground stem or crown and long slender taproot. Longevity to 2 years.

Flowers: Greenish red in clusters, August – February.

Fruit: Deep reddish-brown 3-sided nut enclosed in valves 3.5 – 6 mm long. Dispersed by wind, water and animals.

Seed: Dark red-brown angular seeds to 2 mm long, November – March. Remain on plant for many months.

Gallery images: seed, seedling, rootstock, resprout

Ecology

  • Native to Europe and South West Asia
  • Weed of disturbed sites, creeks and low-lying areas
  • Occasional weed of grassland at Mount Annan Botanic Garden

Asterisk * Indicates exotic species naturalised at Mount Annan Botanic Garden.

Ecology of Cumberland Plain Woodland

Rumex crispus fruit