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sheep's sorrel

Rumex acetosella

Summary 2

Rumex acetosella, commonly known as sheep's sorrel, red sorrel, sour weed and field sorrel, is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae. The plant and its subspecies are common perennial weeds. It has green arrowhead-shaped leaves and red-tinted deeply ridged stems, and it sprouts from an aggressive and spreading rhizome. The flowers emerge from a tall, upright stem. Female flowers are maroon in color.

Sheep's Sorrel is a perennial herb up to 30 cm with creeping rhizomes; erect stems pale green, flushed with bright red; separate male and female plants. Most leaves are basal; leaf blade up to 4 cm long, mitre-shaped with two narrow lateral lobes. Flower head occupies at least half of the overall stem length, dividing into several long ascending branches bearing whorls of tiny flowers. Non-fleshy fruit, turning brown, ovoid, weakly 3-angled, 1.5 mm long; wind dispersed; seed viable in the soil for 5 years or more.

Distribution 3

Found near whaling stations in grassland and sometimes scree.

Comments 4

Very distinctive in late summer when the red flowerheads are prominent. Sheep’s sorrel could be mistaken for curled dock, however the latter has linear leaves without lateral lobes, is a stout plant and does not have separate male and female individuals.

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) randomtruth, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/58096907@N00/2522079430
  2. Adapted by stuwhiterod from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumex_acetosella
  3. (c) Kelvin Floyd, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  4. Adapted by stuwhiterod from a work by (c) Kelvin Floyd, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNat Map

Group Forb
Category Non Native
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