Denseflowered Dock (Rumex densiflorus)
Description
Rumex densiflorus grows very large, upright basal leaves just after snow melt. Then a tall, stout flower stalk follows with tiny green/red/yellow flowers that are replaced by showy pink/red/brown seed pods. Early leaves of this and related Rumex species are palatable as a potherb, giving rise to the "Wild Rhubarb" common name. Leaves persist through the summer but toughen with age. The genus Rumex was named by Linnaeus in 1753 and George Osterhout named this species in 1898. "Rumex" is the classical Latin name for the plant and "densiflorus" means "densely flowered". This species is found primarily in Colorado with scattered records in nearby mountainous states. The genus is found nearly worldwide and throughout the United States and Canada.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Caryophyllales
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Family: Polygonaceae
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Genus: Rumex
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