Scientific Name:
Rumex acetosella
Pronunciation:
ROO-mecks uh-see-tuh-SELL-uh
Common Name:
sheep sorrel
Family Name:
Polygonaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial, Invasive plant, Weed (horticultural)
Key ID Features:
Leaves basal and then alternate up stem, ovate to lanceolate, bases commonly with lobes pointing outwards (hastate), most blades 1-5cm long x 1-2cm wide, petioles often longer than the blades; flowers male or female (dioecious), in relatively large, narrow panicle; perianths 1-1.5mm long, reddish to yellowish; achenes golden brown, smooth, about 1.5mm long. E-Flora BC
Habit:
Horizontal, Spreading
Form:
Mounded, Round
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
0.1 - 0.2m
Mature Spread:
0.1 - 0.3m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Rocky or gravelly or dry
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Herb
Additional Info:
Google. Compare to garden sorrel.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate, Basal
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Lanceolate, Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Hastate
Margins:
Entire, Undulate (wavy)
Inflorescence Type:
Panicle
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Orange, Red
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May
Additional Info:
Six, petal-like sepals
Fruit Type:
Achene
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Jul
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Propagation:
Seed, Layering
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Slugs or snails
