Red Sorrel: Rumex acetosella
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Weed Description: A perennial from rhizomes with distinctive arrowhead-shaped leaves and red flowering stems. Red sorrel is primarily a weed of turfgrass, lawns, roadsides, landscapes, and some nursery crops. It is found throughout the United States. |
| Seedlings: Cotyledons are
oblong, without hairs, reaching 10 mm in length. Cotyledons and young leaves usually
have a 'mealy' cast on the leaf surfaces. The first true leaf is egg-shaped in
outline and occurs on a short petiole. The distinctive arrowhead-shaped leaves
develop later. Roots: A taproot and rhizomes. |
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Stems: Flowering stems are erect, reaching18 inches in height, branching in the upper portions only. Stems are ridged and often maroon-tinted. |
| Flowers: Occur in clusters on the flowering stems. Flowers can be either yellowish-green in color (male) or red to maroon in color (female). Fruit: An achene that is also red to maroon in color. |
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Leaves: Distinctively
arrowhead-shaped due to 2 lobes that occur at the base of the leaves. Most leaves
occur in the basal rosette, however some stem leaves occur also. Basal leaves are
approximately 1 to 3 inches long, without hairs (glabrous), and occur on petioles.
Leaves on the flowering stem are arranged alternately and are usually linear in outline
(not usually arrowhead-shaped), without distinctive petioles. All leaves have a thin
membranous sheath (ocrea) surrounding the stem at the point of the leaf petiole
attachment. Identifying Characteristics: The arrowhead-shaped leaves that develop in a basal rosette and the red to maroon-tinged flowering stems are both characteristics that distinguish red sorrel from most other species. |
