Practical
Plants

Rumex crispus

Curled Dock

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Rumex
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.6 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

Plants can contain quite high levels of oxalic acid, which is what gives the leaves of many members of this genus an acid-lemon flavour. Perfectly alright in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since the oxalic acid can lock-up other nutrients in the food, especially calcium, thus causing mineral deficiencies. The oxalic acid content will be reduced if the plant is cooked. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[16].

Edible uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[24][26][3]. They can also be dried for later use[2]. The leaves can be added to salads, cooked as a potherb or added to soups[8]. Only the very young leaves should be used, preferably before the stems have developed, and even these are likely to be bitter[2][28][19]. If used in early spring and in the autumn they can often be fairly pleasant tasting[85, 159, K]. The leaves are very rich in vitamins and minerals, especially iron and the vitamins A and C[8][17]. A nutritional analysis is available[13]. Stems - raw or cooked[19]. They are best peeled and the inner portion eaten[19]. Seed - raw or cooked[7][19]. It can be used as a piñole or can be ground into a powder and used as a flour for making pancakes etc[26][1][8][19]. The seed is very fiddly to harvest and prepare[25]. The roasted seed has been used as a coffee substitute[10].

Product or use
Coffee
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

Curled dock has a long history of domestic herbal use. It is a gentle and safe laxative, less powerful than rhubarb in its action so it is particularly useful in the treatment of mild constipation[18]. The plant has valuable cleansing properties and is useful for treating a wide range of skin problems[18]. All parts of the plant can be used, though the root is most active medicinally. The root is alterative, antiscorbutic, astringent, cholagogue, depurative, laxative and mildly tonic[22][11][23][27][4]. It used to be sold as a tonic and laxative[12]. It can cause or relieve diarrhoea according to the dose, harvest time and relative concentrations of tannin(astringent) and anthraquinones (laxative) that are present[14]. It is used internally in the treatment of constipation, diarrhoea, piles, bleeding of the lungs, various blood complaints and also chronic skin diseases[22][16][19]. Externally, the root can be mashed and used as a poultice and salve, or dried and used as a dusting powder, on sores, ulcers, wounds and various other skin problems[19]. The root has been used with positive effect to restrain the inroads made by cancer, being used as an alterative and tonic[22]. The root is harvested in early spring and dried for later use[22]. Some caution is advised in its use since excess doses can cause gastric disturbance, nausea and dermatitis[14][16]. The seed is used in the treatment of diarrhoea[22][13]. A homeopathic remedy is made from the fresh root, harvested in the autumn before frost has touched the plant[15]. It is only used in the treatment of a specific type of cough[15].

Product or use
Alterative
Product or use
Antiscorbutic
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Cancer
Product or use
Cholagogue
Product or use
Depurative
Product or use
Homeopathy
Product or use
Laxative
Product or use
Poultice
Product or use
Salve
Product or use
Tonic

Material uses

Yellow, dark green to brown and dark grey dyes can be obtained from the roots. They do not need a mordant[5]. An alternative ingredient of 'QR' herbal compost activator[21]. (is it the flowers?) This is a dried and powdered mixture of several herbs that can be added to a compost heap in order to speed up bacterial activity and thus shorten the time needed to make the compost[K].

Product or use
Compost
Product or use
Dye

Environment

Range
Most of Europe, including Britain, to N. Africa.
Habitat
Growing almost anywhere[24], it is found especially in grassy places, waste ground, roadsides and near sand dunes and is a serious weed of agriculture[6][17].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

Seed - this plant does not require any help in its propagation.

Cultivation

Succeeds in most soils, preferring a moist moderately fertile well-drained soil in a sunny position[9]. The plant does not need any help in growing, it is doing very nicely in Britain where it is a serious weed of agriculture. A very important food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterfly[20].

References

  1. Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-394-72811-4

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  2. Loewenfeld. C. and Back. P. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles ISBN 0-7153-7971-2

    ↩1↩2

  3. McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-253-28925-4

    ↩

  4. Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.

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  5. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

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  6. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

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  7. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

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  8. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  9. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

  10. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

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  11. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

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  12. Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963-00-00 ISBN 63-7093

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  13. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2

  14. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2

  15. Castro. M. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook. Macmillan. London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-333-55581-3

    ↩1↩2

  16. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3

  17. Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30725-8

    ↩1↩2

  18. Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148

    ↩1↩2

  19. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  20. Carter D. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan 1982-00-00 ISBN 0-330-26642-x

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  21. Bruce. M. E. Commonsense Compost Making. Faber 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-571-09990-4

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  22. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  23. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  24. Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219060-5

    ↩1↩2

  25. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

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  26. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

    ↩1↩2

  27. Sweet. M. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co. 1962-00-00 ISBN 0-911010-54-8

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  28. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

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