Scientific Name
Rumex spp.
Common Name
Dock, Sorrel

CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN.

Characteristics

Family
Polygonaceae
Plant Description
Perennial, biennial, or winter annual herbs; leaves mainly basal, alternate, simple; flowers small, in terminal, branched clusters, reddish; fruit a reddish brown, 3-angled achene.
Origin
USA, NC.
Distribution
Throughout.
Where Found
Weedy in disturbed areas in pastures, fields, roadsides.
Mode
Ingestion, dermatitis.
Poisonous Part
Leaves in large quantities and if not cooked properly.
Symptoms
Nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, headache.
Edibility
EDIBLE PARTS: Leaves, flowers and seeds. HARVEST TIME: Only collect plants from areas you know have NOT been treated with pesticides. Gather leaves during early spring through early summer. Gather flowers during spring and summer. SAFE HANDLING PROCEDURES: Wash edible parts thoroughly with warm water. Do not use dish detergent or any type of sanitizer. These products can leave a residue. Use fresh in salads. Or, add leaves to soups and stews. Steep into a liquid that can be used to create a lemonade-type drink. Leaves can also be used to stuff fish. As leaves mature, they lose their sourness. To freeze, blanch for one minute, drain, pat dry and pack in plastic bags. Use flowers in salads or cooked. Seeds (collected during spring through summer) are very small but can be ground into meal. Boiling the seeds adds a red color and variety to liquids or soups. SOURCE: Larson, Ken. 1995. God's Free Harvest, Rhema Publishing, Inc., Suwanee, GA. 231 pp.
For Rumex crispus, Curly dock: EDIBLE PARTS: Edible as cooked greens in limited quantities; cook in 2 waters and add baking soda to neutralize acid. HARVEST TIME: Use young leaves in early spring. SAFE HANDLING PROCEDURES: Cook leaves in small amount of water for about 10 minutes. If too bitter, change water 2-3 times. SOURCE: Elias, T.S. and P.A. Dykeman. 1982. Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Outdoor Life Books, New York, 286 pp. Peterson, L. 1978. A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 330 pp.
Toxic Principle
Soluble oxalates.
Severity
CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN.

"Poisonous Plants of North Carolina," Dr. Alice B. Russell, Department of Horticultural Science; Dr. James W. Hardin, Botany; Dr. Larry Grand, Plant Pathology; and Dr. Angela Fraser, Family and Consumer Sciences; North Carolina State University. All Pictures Copyright @1997Alice B. Russell, James W. Hardin, Larry Grand. Computer programming, Miguel A. Buendia; graphics, Brad Capel.

Disclaimer: The list of poisonous plants on this web site does not necessarily include every poisonous plant that is known, or that might be found in an urban landscape or home. North Carolina State University does not advise eating any of the plants included in this web site. The information concerning edibility is taken from the literature, and the degree of reliability is unknown. We discourage the use of any of these plants for self medication. In cases of accidental exposure or ingestion, contact the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222.

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