Belongs within: Polygonaceae.
Rumex, the docks, is a genus of about 200 species of herbaceous plants found worldwide, with the greatest number of species in north temperate regions. A number of species have become widely spread outside their native ranges as pasture weeds; the curled dock Rumex crispus is toxic to livestock, causing dermatitis and gastric illness (Henty 1978).
The genus is divided between the subgenera Rumex and Acetosa. Species of subgenus Rumex generally have bisexual flowers with green perianths and stems are stout and erect to decumbent, whereas the usually dioecious members of subgenus Acetosa have more or less red perianths and stems are erect and slender. Species of section Rumex within the type subgenus have more or less erect stems that are generally unbranched below the inflorescence, and a mixture of basal and cauline leaves (Hickman 1993).
Characters (Henty 1978): Annual or perennial herbs, often acid. Leaves spirally arranged, or lower leaves in basal rosette; sheaths short, ocreas well developed. Inflorescence racemose or paniculate; flowers bisexual, monoecious or dioecious, stipitate, articulate on arched pedicels, in bracteate fascicles, which may be many-flowered forming partial whorls. Tepals in two whorls of three; outer whorl small, not much accrescent after anthesis; inner whorl finally much enlarged, enclosing fruit; stamens 6; ovary trigonous; styles 3, short, with large dissected stigmas. Fruit sharply trigonous.
<==Rumex Linnaeus 1753 [Rumiceae]A61
|--R. subg. RumexH93
| |--R. sect. RumexH93
| | |--R. conglomeratusH93
| | |--R. crispus Linnaeus 1753H93, H78
| | |--R. dentatus [incl. R. dentatus var. klotzschianus]H93
| | |--R. hymenosepalusH93
| | |--R. kerneriH93
| | |--R. maritimus [incl. R. fuegianus, R. persicarioides]H93
| | |--R. obtusifolius [incl. R. obtusifolius ssp. agrestis]H93
| | |--R. occidentalis [incl. R. fenestratus]H93
| | |--R. orbiculatusH93
| | |--R. pulcherH93
| | |--R. stenophyllusH93
| | `--R. violascensH93
| `--R. sect. AxillaresH93
| |--R. salicifoliusH93
| | |--R. s. var. salicifoliusH93
| | |--R. s. var. crassusH93
| | |--R. s. var. denticulatus [incl. R. californicus, R. utahensis]H93
| | |--R. s. var. lacustrisH93
| | |--R. s. var. transitoriusH93
| | `--R. s. var. triangulivalvisH93
| `--R. venosusH93
`--R. subg. AcetosaH93
|--R. acetosellaH90 [incl. Acetosella angiocarpaH90, R. angiocarpusH93]
|--R. paucifolius [incl. R. paucifolius var. gracilescens]H93
|--R. sagittatus [=Acetosa sagittata]H90
`--R. vesicarius [=Acetosa vesicaria]H90
Rumex incertae sedis:
R. acetosaC06
R. alpinusC55
R. bidensH90
R. brownii Campd. 1819 [incl. R. fimbriotus Brown 1810 (preoc.)]H78
R. bucephalophorusPT98
|--R. b. ssp. bucephalophorusPT98
`--R. b. ssp. gallicusPT98
R. crystallinusH90
R. decumbensD03
R. dumosus [incl. R. dumosiformis]H90
R. flexuosus Forst. ex Spreng. 1825ME70 (see below for synonymy)
R. hastatusF92
R. hydrolapathumLDB98
R. lunariaES06
R. neglectus Kirk 1877A61 [incl. R. cuneifolius var. alismaefoliusC06]
R. nepalensisO88
R. palustrisC06
R. patientiaO88
|--R. p. ssp. patientiaO88
`--R. p. ssp. pamiricusO88
R. sanguineus [incl. R. viridis]C06
R. scutatusC55
R. simpliciflorus Murbeck 1899D17
R. stenoglottisH90
R. tenaxH90
R. tuberosusPT98
|--R. t. ssp. tuberosusPT98
`--R. t. ssp. creticusPT98
Rumex flexuosus Forst. ex Spreng. 1825ME70 [incl. R. brownianus Cunn. 1838 non Campd. 1819A61, R. cunninghamii Meissn. in DC. 1856A61]
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
[A61] Allan, H. H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand vol. 1. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. R. E. Owen, Government Printer: Wellington (New Zealand).
[C55] Candolle, A. de. 1855. Géographie Botanique Raisonée: Ou exposition des faits principaux et des lois concernant la distribution géographique des plantes de l’époque actuelle vol. 2. Librairie de Victor Masson: Paris.
[C06] Cheeseman, T. F. 1906. Manual of the New Zealand Flora. John Mackay, Government Printer: Wellington.
[D17] Diels, L. 1917. Beiträge zur Flora der Zentral-Sahara und ihrer Pflanzengeographie. Nach der Sammelausbeute des Freiherrn Hans Geyr von Schweppenburg. Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 54 (Beiblatt 120): 51–155.
[D03] Dusén, P. 1903. The vegetation of western Patagonia. In: Scott, W. B. (ed.) Reports of the Princeton University Expeditions to Patagonia, 1896–1899 vol. 8. Botany pp. 1–34. The University: Princeton (New Jersey).
[ES06] Erber, D., & M. Schöller. 2006. Revision of the Cryptocephalus-species of the Canary Islands and Madeira (Insecta, Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cryptocephalinae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 86 (1): 85–107.
[F92] Fan Z. 1992. Key to the Common Flies of China 2nd ed. Science Press: Beijing.
[H90] Harden, G. J. (ed.) 1990. Flora of New South Wales vol. 1. New South Wales University Press.
[H78] Henty, E. E. 1978. Polygonaceae. In: Womersley, J. S. (ed.) Handbooks of the Flora of Papua New Guinea vol. 1 pp. 222–248. Melbourne University Press: Carlton South (Australia).
[H93] Hickman, J. C. (ed.) 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press: Berkeley (California).
[LDB98] Lenssen, J. P. M., G. E. ten Dolle & C. W. P. M. Blom. 1998. The effect of flooding on the recruitment of reed marsh and tall forb plant species. Plant Ecology 139: 13–23.
[ME70] Moore, L. B., & E. Edgar. 1970. Flora of New Zealand vol. 2. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Monocotyledones except Gramineae. A. R. Shearer, Government Printer: Wellington (New Zealand).
[O88] Ohba, H. 1988. The alpine flora of the Nepal Himalayas: an introductory note. In: Ohba, H., & S. B. Malla (eds) The Himalayan Plants vol. 1. The University Museum, University of Tokyo, Bulletin 31: 19-46.
[PT98] Panitsa, M., & D. Tzanoudakis. 1998. Contribution to the study of the Greek flora: flora and vegetation of the E Aegean islands Agathonisi and Pharmakonisi. Willdenowia 28: 95–116.