HerbWildAnnualMedicinal

Rumex dentatus L.

Jangli palak

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Description

Rumex dentatus is an annual or biennial herb, usually 30–100 cm tall, with an erect growth habit. Stems are smooth, hollow, branched above, and often reddish-green. Leaves are simple, alternate, and variable in shape. Basal leaves are usually broadly lanceolate to ovate, while upper leaves are narrower. Leaf margins are often distinctly toothed or wavy, giving the species its name. Leaves possess a characteristic sour taste due to oxalic acid. Flowers are small, greenish, arranged in branched terminal panicles. Flowers are usually bisexual or functionally unisexual. The perianth consists of six tepals; the inner three enlarge during fruit development and often develop tooth-like structures. The fruit is a three-sided achene, enclosed by enlarged inner tepals with tubercles.

Diagnostic Characters

Vegetative

Large dock-like herb. Toothed leaf margins. Sour-tasting leaves.

Floral

Branched terminal panicle. Enlarged fruiting valves.

Fruit & Seed

Triangular achene. Three inner tepals surrounding fruit.

Distribution

Native range: South Asia. West Asia.

In Pakistan: Common in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Middle East.

Phenology

Flowering

Fruiting

Flowering: Winter–spring Fruiting: Spring–summer

Ethnobotany & Uses

Food Importance

Young leaves are traditionally consumed as Vegetable, Sour-flavoured greens.

Medicinal Importance

Used traditionally for Digestive disorders, Skin diseases, Inflammation. Contains Anthraquinones, Flavonoids, Organic acids.

Agricultural Importance

Considered a weed in Wheat fields, Irrigated crops.

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Where it grows on campus

This species is on the campus floristic list but was not pinned during the GPS mapping survey, so it has no map records yet.

Taxonomic Notes

Rumex differs from Persicaria and Polygonum by Enlarged fruiting perianth segments, Larger dock-like leaves, Panicle inflorescences. Rumex dentatus is distinguished by Toothed leaves, Small annual habit, Tuberculate fruit valves.