Appearance
General: Usually glabrous perennial from a strong taproot, the stem usually single, erect, stout, unbranched below the inflorescence, reddish-tinged, 10-20 dm. tall.Leaves: Basal leaves several, with sheathing stipules and long petioles, the blade oblong-ovate or oblong-lanceolate, 10-30 cm. long, cordate at base; cauline leaves few, much reduced upward.
Flowers: Inflorescence a large panicle, leafy-bracteate below, the branches ascending; pedicels slender, 2-3 times as long as the flowers; flowers perfect; outer 3 perianth segments 1.5-2 mm. long, not reflexed; inner 3 segments triangular to oval, 3-11 mm. long, truncate at base, entire or denticulate on the margins, strongly veiny; styles 3.
Fruits: Achene about 4 mm. long, smooth.
Naming
Rumex aquaticus L.Rumex aquaticus L. ssp. occidentalis (S. Watson) Hultén
Rumex aquaticus L. var. fenestratus (Greene) Dorn
Rumex bakeri Greene
Rumex confinis
Rumex fenestratus Greene
Rumex fenestratus Greene var. labradoricus Rechinger f.
Rumex gracilipes Greene
Rumex occidentalis S. Wats. var. labradoricus (Rechinger f.) Lepage
Rumex occidentalis S. Wats var. occidentalis
Rumex occidentalis S. Wats. var. procerus (Greene) J.T. Howell
Rumex procerus
Distribution
throughout North AmericaHabitat
Grows in wet or vernal-wet ponds, salty wet places, at low to mid elevations.References:
Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.
http://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/rumex-occidentalishttp://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Rumex&Species=occidentalis
