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Rumex acetosella

Flowering Plants

Rumex acetosella, known as red sorrel, sheep's sorrel, field sorrel or sour weed, is a perennial flowering plant in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae, native to Eurasia including the British Isles and now spread through much of the Northern Hemisphere as an introduced species. It grows to about 50 centimeters from spreading underground rhizomes, with green arrowhead-shaped leaves 2.4 to 5 centimeters long bearing pointed lobes at the base, and red-tinted, deeply ridged stems. The species is dioecious, with yellowish-green male flowers and maroon female flowers that develop into reddish achenes. It thrives on acidic, sandy soils in heaths and grasslands and often colonizes disturbed ground such as abandoned mining sites; its leaves contain oxalic acid, giving them a sour taste, and can be eaten raw or cooked. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Classification
Relationship to People
Invasive or Introduced Species 1
Scientific Name
Rumex acetosella 1
Sources
1. Rumex acetosella (Wikipedia)
  • Wikidata Q29951 (P225 taxon name)
  • system (entity description states it plainly, relationship to people)
    Rumex acetosella, known as red sorrel, sheep's sorrel, field sorrel or sour weed, is a perennial flowering plant in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae, native to Eurasia including the British Isles and now spread through much of the Northern Hemisphere as an introduced species.
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