Curly Dock: Rumex crispus
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Weed Description: Taprooted
perennial, developing a basal rosette of wavy-margined leaves and an unbranched stem that
may reach 5 feet in height. Found throughout the United States primarily as a
weed of pastures, hay fields, forages, landscapes, and some agronomic crops. Stems: Unbranched, thick, without hairs, ridged, often reddish in color. |
| Seedling: Stems below the cotyledons may be tinted maroon at the base. Cotyledons are rounded at the apex and narrowed to the base (spatulate-shaped). Cotyledons are without hairs and occur on petioles. Young leaves may have reddish patches on them and form a basal rosette. |  |
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Leaves: Lower rosette leaves are petioled, without hairs, alternately arranged on the stem, dark green with wavy margins. Stem leaves are arranged alternately along the stem, have a membranous sheath that encircles the stem (ocrea), and become progressively smaller up the flowering stalk. Leaves become more reddish-purple with age. |
| Roots: Large, fleshy tap-root,
yellowish orange in color. Flowers: Occur in clusters on the upper portion of the elongating stem, consisting of greenish sepals that become reddish-brown with age. |
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Fruit: An achene (2 mm long) that is triangular, glossy, and brown to reddish-brown. A papery 3-valved or 3-winged structure surrounds the achene. |
| Identifying Characteristics: Leaves with markedly wavy-margins. This weed may be confused with Broadleaf Dock (Rumex obtusifolius). However, the much wider and less wavy leaves of broadleaf dock help to distinguish the two species. |  |