Rumex hastatulus

Rumex hastatulus, commonly known as the heartwing sorrel, is an annual flowering plant species in the family Polygonaceae otherwise known as the buckwheat family.[1] It is found spread out through the eastern and southern United States.[2]

Rumex hastatulus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Rumex
Species:
R. hastatulus
Binomial name
Rumex hastatulus
Baldw.

Description

Rumex hastatulus is an erect herb-like with simple, oblong, alternate leaves ranging from 2–6 cm (0.79–2.36 in) long and 0.5–2 cm (0.20–0.79 in). The flowers are bright red and carried in a branched cluster and are from 2.5–3.2 mm (0.098–0.126 in) long and 2.7–3.2 mm (0.11–0.13 in) wide.[3] The fruit is a brownish orange color. When eaten the leaves flowers and seeds have been described to have a sour taste and are edible in small doses.

Distribution

The plant is found in the eastern and southeastern parts of North America in areas with alluvial or ruderal habitats such as river valleys meadows and waste areas.[4]

Uses

Despite being known to be poisonous[1] Rumex hastatulus has been commonly used in small doses in different types of salads in parts of and soups. While the culinary uses for the plant are limited due to it being known to cause nausea stomach cramps and headaches in large portions it is at times used in France as a form of "sorrel soup". The plant is also commonly used to study due to its unique genetic structure. Due to their complex chromosomal makeup their sex is determined by the ratio of x and y chromosomes. This gender determination system is unique in flowering plants leading to a lot of research being done into environmental and genetic factors in that determine the sex.[5]

References
  1. "Rumex hastatulus (Hastate-leaved Dock, Heartwing Sorrel, Sorrel, Sour Dock) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  2. Smith, Ben W. (1964). "The Evolving Karyotype of Rumex hastatulus". Evolution. 18 (1): 93–104. doi:10.2307/2406423. ISSN 0014-3820. JSTOR 2406423.
  3. "Rumex hastatulus in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
  4. "SEINet Portal Network - Rumex hastatulus". swbiodiversity.org. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
  5. Grabowska-Joachimiak, Aleksandra; Kula, Adam; Książczyk, Tomasz; Chojnicka, Joanna; Sliwinska, Elwira; Joachimiak, Andrzej J. (2015). "Chromosome landmarks and autosome-sex chromosome translocations in Rumex hastatulus, a plant with XX/XY1Y2 sex chromosome system". Chromosome Research. 23 (2): 187–197. doi:10.1007/s10577-014-9446-4. ISSN 0967-3849. PMC 4430600. PMID 25394583.
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