Rumex dentatus
Encyclopedia
Rumex dentatus is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family
known by the common name toothed dock. It is native to parts of Eurasia and North Africa, and it is widely known elsewhere as an introduced species
and a common roadside weed
. It grows in disturbed habitat, often in moist areas, such as lakeshores and the edges of cultivated fields. It is an annual or biennial herb producing a slender, erect stem up to 70 or 80 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are lance-shaped to oval with slightly wavy edges, growing to a maximum length around 12 centimeters. The inflorescence
is an interrupted series of clusters of flowers, with 10 to 20 flowers per cluster and each flower hanging on a pedicel
. Each flower has usually six tepal
s, the 3 inner of which are edged with spinelike teeth and have tubercles at their centers.
This plant has allelopathic
activity, producing substances that inhibit the growth of other plants near it, as well ascal activities of Rumex dentatus L.: Evaluation of methanol and hexane extracts.] African Journal of Biotechnology 8:24 6945-51.
Polygonaceae
Polygonaceae is a family of flowering plants known informally as the "knotweed family" or "smartweed family"— "buckwheat family" in the United States. The name is based on the genus Polygonum and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 in his book, Genera Plantarum. The name refers...
known by the common name toothed dock. It is native to parts of Eurasia and North Africa, and it is widely known elsewhere as an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
and a common roadside weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
. It grows in disturbed habitat, often in moist areas, such as lakeshores and the edges of cultivated fields. It is an annual or biennial herb producing a slender, erect stem up to 70 or 80 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are lance-shaped to oval with slightly wavy edges, growing to a maximum length around 12 centimeters. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is an interrupted series of clusters of flowers, with 10 to 20 flowers per cluster and each flower hanging on a pedicel
Pedicel (botany)
A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....
. Each flower has usually six tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s, the 3 inner of which are edged with spinelike teeth and have tubercles at their centers.
This plant has allelopathic
Allelopathy
Allelopathy is a biological phenomenon by which an organism produces one or more biochemicals that influence the growth, survival, and reproduction of other organisms. These biochemicals are known as allelochemicals and can have beneficial or detrimental effects on the target organisms...
activity, producing substances that inhibit the growth of other plants near it, as well ascal activities of Rumex dentatus L.: Evaluation of methanol and hexane extracts.] African Journal of Biotechnology 8:24 6945-51.