Acetosa sagittata, commonly known as turkey rhubarb or rambling dock or potato vine, is a herbaceous perennial plant native to southern Africa, which has become a weed in Australia and New Zealand.

Taxonomy

Initially described as Rumex sagittatus by Swedish botanist Carl Peter Thunberg

Carl Peter Thunberg

Carl Peter Thunberg aka Carl Pehr Thunberg aka Carl Per Thunberg was a Swedish naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus. He has been called "the father of South African botany" and the "Japanese Linnaeus"....

, it was later placed in the genus Acetosa by Australian botanists Lawrie Johnson

Lawrence Alexander Sidney Johnson

Lawrence Alexander Sidney Johnson, known as Lawrie Johnson, was an Australian taxonomic botanist. He worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, for the whole of his professional career, as a botanist , Director and Honorary Research Associate .Alone or in collaboration with colleagues, he...

 and Barbara Briggs

Barbara Briggs

Barbara Briggs is co-owner of Phaethon World-Stage Co. Pictures. A New York-based writer-producer, she produced and co-wrote the much-lauded Off-Broadway play 'Armband for Liberty' starring Australian actor Paul Sanderson. A tragicomedy, the play was about the end of the progressive era of 1917 and...

. Its specific name is derived from the Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 sagitta "arrow", hence "arrow-shaped". The plant is known by various common names including turkey rhubarb, arrowhead vine, potato vine, rambling dock or climbing sorrel.

Description

Acetosa sagittata is a soft-stemmed herbaceous scrambling and climbing plant with prominent triangular arrow-shaped leaves 3-6 cm (1.4-2.4 in) in length and 2-4 cm (0.8-1.6 in) wide. The grooved green stem may be distinctly tinted red at times. The small pinkish flowers grow on panicles up to 15 cm (6 in) long. These are followed by a 3-sided greenish 0.8-1 cm diameter pod. The plant grows from a tuber, which may be up to 10 cm (4 in) long. The plant flowers and sets seed over summer, and may die back to the tuber in colder areas.

Distribution and habitat

The plant is native to southern Africa, where it occurs from Malawi

Malawi

The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...

 and Zambia

Zambia

Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....

 south to South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. It has become naturalised in many parts of Australia near urban areas, from Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

 to eastern Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

, and warmer locales in New Zealand.

It spreads by seed or by resprouting from the tuber. The seeds float on water and hence may be conveyed far from the parent plant. Tubers may be broken up by tractors or road graders and each fragment may be able to regrow; they can also be difficult to find with removal of plants by hand. Acetosa sagittata may grow and smother other plants it covers.

Uses

The leaves and young stems can be cooked and eaten and are sometimes cultivated as a vegetable in Java

Java

Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...

.