About Rumex pulcher L.
Rumex pulcher L., commonly known as fiddle dock, is a flowering plant species in the knotweed family. It is quite variable in appearance, and some botanical authorities split the species into several more or less distinguishable subspecies. As a general rule, it is a perennial herb that grows a slender, erect stem from a thick taproot, reaching a maximum height close to 70 centimetres (28 inches). The upper portion of the plant may bend, particularly as its fruit develops. Its leaves grow up to 10–15 cm (4–6 in) long and vary in shape, but they are often oblong with a narrow middle, shaped roughly like a fiddle. The inflorescence consists of many branches, each holding an interrupted series of flower clusters that can contain up to 20 flowers each. Individual flowers hang from a pedicel. Flowers usually have six tepals: the inner three are edged with teeth and have tubercles at their centers. This plant is native to Eurasia and North Africa, and it can be found in other regions including parts of North America as an introduced species and a roadside weed.
