Rumex occidentalis - Western Dock

Family:	Polygonaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	1.8
Synonyms:	R. fenestratus. Greene. R. aquaticus fenestratus. (Greene.)Dorn.
Range:	Western N. America - Alaska to California.

Rumex occidentalis (Western Dock) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 1.8m . It has a hardness rating of 0and is vunerable to frost.
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Wind

Soil Information

Western Dock will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Western Dock prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Western Dock can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Moist and swampy areas, summer-drying meadows, seacoast to foothills, valley and open montane flats[60].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Can be planted in Cultivated Beds
• A bog garden plant

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in most soils but prefers a deep fertile moderately heavy soil that is humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained and a position in full-sun or part shade[200]. Plants were seen growing well in a sunny well-drained bed at Kew in 1989[K].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 1/5
Young leaves - cooked[61, 105, 161, 172]. Used like spinach[257]. A bitter taste, the native North American Indians would add oil to improve the flavour[256]. Young stems - cooked[256]. Used like rhubarb[256]. Seed - raw or cooked[161, 177, 257]. The seed can also be ground into a powder and used to make a gruel or added to cereal flours when making bread etc. It is rather small and fiddly to harvest.

• Leaves -
• Seed - includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
The leaves have been used in herbal sweat baths to treat pains similar to rheumatism all over the body[257]. A poultice of the leaves and mashed, roasted roots has been applied to sores, boils and wounds[257]. A poultice of the root paste has been applied to cuts and boils[257].

• Analgesic - Relieves pain.
• Astringent - Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
• Poultice - A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in spring.

Known Hazards

Plants can contain quite high levels of oxalic acid, which is what gives the leaves of many members of this genus an acid-lemon flavour. Perfectly alright in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since the oxalic acid can lock-up other nutrients in the food, especially calcium, thus causing mineral deficiencies. The oxalic acid content will be reduced if the plant is cooked. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[238].

Other Uses

Although no specific mention has been made for this species, dark green to brown and dark grey dyes can be obtained from the roots of many species in this genus, They do not need a mordant[168].

• Dye - Plants that provide dyes.

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest.
Hitchcock. C. L.
Author: Hitchcock. C. L.
Rating:
Publisher : A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.
Date of Publication : 1955

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