Rumex sagittatus
Environmental Weed (2024)
Common names
climbing dock
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Green
Detailed description
Climbing or scrambling, dioecious or monoecious perennial with tuberous woody rootstock; stems to approx. 3m long, glabrous, flexuous. Leaves all similar. Petioles slender, >= lamina. Lamina 3~8 x 2~6cm, triangular or hastate with 2 long basal lobes at 45¦ to petiole, otherwise entire, slightly puberulent on main veins below when young; sinus broad and rounded; apex acuminate to cuspidate. Panicle pyramidal, with small leaves in the lower axils only. Pedicels filiform, long, glabrous. Perianth 1.5~2mm long, green; outer segments generally ovate-oblong, becoming strongly reflexed in female flowers. Fruit valves 6~9mm diam., orbicular, entire, prominently reticulate, cordate, yellow, pink to crimson; tubercles 0. Nuts approx. 3mm long, glossy light brown; keels almost winged. (-Webb et. al., 1988)
Similar taxa
Climbing or scrambling, dioecious or monoecios perennial with stems up to 3m long (Webb et al., 1988). A plant with tuberous woody rootstocks (Porteus 1993; Webb et al., 1988). Fruit parts heart-shaped, yellow or pink to crimson (Webb et al., 1988).
Habitat
Terrestrial.
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Ecology
Flowering
November, December, January, February, March
Year naturalised
1935
Origin
South Africa
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Life cycle and dispersal
Perennial. Papery seed with three wings (Coastcare, 1998). Seeds are dispersed successfully by wing and germinate easily (Ermert and Clapp 1998).
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACU: Facultative Upland
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
rumex: Sorrel
Environmental Weed (2024)
This plant is named in a list of 386 environmental weeds in New Zealand 2024 prepared by DOC. 759 candidate species were considered for inclusion on this new comprehensive list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. The species considered were drawn from published lists of weed species, lists of plants that must be reported or managed by law if observed, existing national and regional programmes and agreements for pest management, and species already managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Candidate species were then assessed to see if they were fully naturalised and whether they have more than minor impacts in natural ecosystems. Read the full report here.
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
RUMSAG