curly dock rosette

Curly dock – Rumex crispus

Rumex crispus L.

Polygonaceae (Smartweed family)

MI Status

Non-native

Life cycle

Erect, taprooted simple perennial.

Leaves

Alternate, long and narrow with round to pointed tips and wavy margins. Leaves are shaped like bacon strips.

Stems

Forms a basal rosette that bolts prior to flowering, unbranched, reaching 3 to 4 feet in height. A membranous sheath (ocrea) surrounds the stem at the base of
each petiole.

Flowers and fruit

Flowers are small, usually greenish and found in clusters on the upper stems, becoming reddish brown at maturity. The seed is enclosed in a single-seeded, shiny, reddish brown, three-sided fruit.

Reproduction

Seeds and fleshy taproot.

Similar weeds

Broadleaf dock (R. obtusifolius L.)
Differs by having much wider, broader leaves and usually heart-shaped leaf bases.

Curly dock rosette
Curly dock rosette
Curly dock flower
Curly dock flower
Curly dock seedhead
Curly dock seedhead
Curly dock seedling
Curly dock seedling

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