The family name Polygonaceae is derived from Greek words 'poly' which means many, and 'gonum' which means knee.
| Latin name: Rumex crispus |
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| Family: Polygonaceae |
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| Common name: curly dock |
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| Life cycle: perennial, reproduces by
seed |
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Habit: Initially forms a rosette, followed
by an erect flower stalk up to 4 feet tall. |
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Foliage: Long, up to 14 inches long,
linear, and with a distinctly wavy margin. |
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Flowers: Flowers occur in panicles
or axillary clusters. Flowers are apetalous (without petals), green,
and turn brown at maturity. |
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Stem: Stems of curly dock, as well
as other plants in this family, have noticeably jointed stems. Also
consistent in this family is the ocrea (or membranous sheath) that occurs
at each node. The family name Polygonaceae is derived from Greek words 'poly' which means many, and 'gonum' which means knee. |
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Look alikes: Broadleaf dock (Rumex
obtusifolius) |