Tall Dock, Pale Dock, Smooth Dock, Peach-Leaf Dock

Rumex altissimus

ROO-meks al-TISS-ih-mus

Synonyms of Rumex altissimus (1) (Updated on 12-23-23 from Plants of the World Online): Lapathum altissimum (Alph.Wood) Nieuwl.

Rumex altissimus Alph.Wood is the accepted scientific name for Tall Dock. It was named and described as such by Alphonso Wood in the second edition of A Class-book of Botany in 1847.

The genus, Rumex L., was named and described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the first volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

As of 12-23-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 193 species in the Rumex genus. It is a member of the plant family Polygonaceae with a total of 55 genera. Those numbers could change periodically as updates are made on POWO.

The above distribution map for Rumex altissimus is from Plants of the World Online. Areas in green are where the species is native. The map on the USDA Plants Database is a little whacky and doesn’t come close to the map provided by BONAP. 

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND TO HELP WITH A BETTER POSITIVE ID.

I found a small colony of these plants on a friend’s farm next to the entrance to his pasture along the highway. Right away I knew they were a Rumex species but they weren’t like the two I identified on my own farm. So, the next day I brought my camera and took photos. After uploading the photos on iNaturalist, I was able to correctly identify the plants as Rumex altissimus. It goes by several common names including Tall Dock, Pale Dock, Smooth Dock, Peach-Leaf Dock, and probably others.

*There are a few photos taken on my farm in 2022 at the bottom of the page under the links.

Rumex altissimus is a perennial plant that grows from 11/2” up to around 4’ tall and is a native of North America. It produces strong central stems that may lean with age and usually branch out below the inflorescence. Stems are round (terete), hairless (glabrous), light green with darker green longitudinal striations. Plants have deep taproots.

Stems have a sheath around the leaf nodes formed by stipules (leaf-like appendages to a leaf). These sheaths eventually dry and turn brown and may fall off. These sheaths are characteristic of many species in the family including other docks and smartweed (Persicaria species). I have identified six species of Persicaria on the farm.

The leaves grow in an alternate manner along the stems and are lance-shaped (lanceolate) to oblong-lanceolate, have short petioles (leaf stems), have smooth margins, are hairless (glabrous), and are shiny. Leaves are not crisped, curly, or wavy as with Rumex crispus (Curled Dock).

The above photo is the underside of the leaf showing a prominent midrib.

Above is another photo of the sheath around the stem at the leaf node.

Flowers grow on top of the stems in terminal inflorescences from 4 to 12″ in length.

The flowers are considered “imperfect” (unisexual) and have neither petals or carpels. Imperfect flowers lack either stamens (carpellate) or carpels (staminate). So, in this case, flowers of Rumex altissimus (and other Rumex species) are called carpellate flowers and have six greenish sepals.

The flowers, as you can see, are light green. Flowering is from April-May and lasts for at least two weeks but plants that have been cut may flower later as well. Flowers turn a coppery brown and then form LOADS of seeds.

Don’t forget about the photos taken in 2022 below.

I have enjoyed photographing and learning about the many wildflowers growing on the family farm and in other areas. The farm is in Windsor, Missouri in Pettis County (Henry County is across the street, and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away). I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the blog). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a horticulturalist I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be somewhat variable from location to location, so sometimes it gets a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and provide much more information. Some sites may not be up-to-date but they are always a work in progress. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. You can also send an email to me at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
MISSOURI PLANTS
iNATURALIST
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
DAVE’S GARDEN
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
MINNESOTA WILDFLOWERS
KANSAS WILDFLOWERS AND GRASSES
MIDWEST INVASIVE SPECIES
GO BOTANY
LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
KANSAS NATIVE PLANTS

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and it can be hard to keep with as well. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂

PHOTOS TAKEN IN 2022…

I found a single Rumex altissimus on this farm on April 29 in 2022 in a lot northeast of the chicken house. I couldn’t find the photos when I was updating this page on January 10 (2023) which I thought was odd. Then when I was updating the Rumex crispus page and adding new photos, I noticed something whacky… The missing photos were in the Rumex crispus folder and were even labeled wrong. GEEZ!!! I have no idea how I screwed up. I even submitted the observation on iNaturalist with the wrong name which I promptly edited… Well, I wasn’t expecting to find any R. altissimus on this farm because there hadn’t been any before.

The above photo and the next four, are of the R. altissimus found here on this farm in 2022.

 

 

 

 

The above photo and the next four were taken in the same area on a friend’s farm as the photos in 2020.