Rumex crispus

Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Family:	POLYGONACEAE
Species:	Rumex crispus L.
Common Name:	Curly Dock; Yellow Dock
Habitat:	**
Associated Ecological Communities:	**
Growth Habit:	Herb
Duration:	Perennial
Category:	Vascular
USDA Symbol:	RUCR
Plant Notes:	Curly Dock is an introduced herbaceous perennial in the Buckwheat family (Polygonaceae). It is native to Asia and Europe. In Alabama it occurs statewide. Curly Dock occurs on roadsides and railroad margins, along ditches and streams, in the margins of fields and pastures, on urban lots, and in other disturbed areas. It is a perennial from a thick vertical fusiform rootstock. Stems are erect, 2-3 feet in height, usually branched above the middle, glabrous, and green or reddish brown in color. Leaves are basal and alternate along the stem, petiolate, lanceolate in outline, glabrous, and with undulate and strongly crisped margins. Flowers are produced in dense terminal panicles. Flowers are in whorls of 10-25. The perianth is greenish, campanulate, glabrous, with 6 tepals and 6 stamens. The three outer tepals are smaller. The fruit is an achene. Curly Dock is the most common and widespread member of the genus. It occurs worldwide in a variety of habitats. It forms hybrids with many other species of Rumex.—A. Diamond.
Taxonomic Notes:	**
Status:	Not Native, FACW (NWI)
References:	**
Specimen:	View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

Family	POLYGONACEAE - Buckwheat family
Genus	Rumex
Species	Rumex crispus L. - Curly Dock; Yellow Dock

Citation

Citation	Rumex crispus Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 335. 1753.
Basionym:	**
Type:	Europe, without data (lectotype: LINN 464.7). Lectotypified by Siddiqi & El-Taife, in Jafri & El-Gadi, Fl. Libya 106: 14. 1983.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

Synonym	Full Citation	Basionym
Lapathum crispum	Lapathum crispum (Linnaeus) Scopoli, Fl. Carniol., ed. 2. 1: 261. 1771.	Rumex crispus Linnaeus 1753.
Rumex crispus var. mexicanus	Rumex crispus Linnaeus, var. mexicanus M. Martens & Galeotti, Bull. Acad. Roy. Sci. Bruxelles 10(1): 353. 1843.
Rumex patientia var. crispus	Rumex patientia Linnaeus, var. crispus (Linnaeus) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 560. 1891.	Rumex crispus Linnaeus 1753.

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Choctaw, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marengo, Marshall, Mobile, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, Sumter, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Winston

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, JSU, SAMF, TROY, UNA, USAM, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1875 - 2023

Barcode / Accession No.	County	Coll. Date	Collector & Collection No.	Herbarium & Herbarium Name Used
UNA00045959	Randolph	5 May 1986	Nixon, C.F. 2156	UNA Rumex crispus L.
AUA_ACC_34134	Perry	3 Jun 1977	SESSLER, ANN H. 1493	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
JSU139885	Etowah	11 May 1994	Hodge, Lesley M. 1461	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UNA00010193	Montgomery	17 Apr 1960	Turner, Walter s.n.	UNA Rumex crispus L.
UNA00010139	Jefferson	09 May 1981	Horn, Charles N. 212	UNA Rumex crispus L.
AUA_ACC_40030	Limestone	19 May 1982	LAHANAS, P.N. S.N.	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
UWAL0019416	Dallas	01 May 1987	Kral, Robert 73823	UWAL Rumex crispus L.
JSU139868	Calhoun	26 May 1996	Hruska, Susan E. 1281	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UNA00010104	Tuscaloosa	01 Jun 1875	Smith, Eugene A. s.n.	UNA Rumex crispus L.
AUA_ACC_22496	Lee	13 Apr 1970	MONTGOMERY, JOHN 48	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
JSU139866	Calhoun	15 Jul 1982	Whetstone, R. David 11461	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
TROY000038216	Bullock	26 Apr 2012	Dykes, Bailee 586	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139972	Tuscaloosa	12 Jun 1975	Whetstone, R. David 4719	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139891	Jackson	26 May 1973	Whetstone, R. David RDW-1148	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_56602	Crenshaw	9 May 1996	DIAMOND, JR., ALVIN R. 10223	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
USAM000013126	Mobile	06 Oct 1973	LeLong, Michel G. 7331.1	USAM Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139871	Cherokee	06 May 1983	Whetstone, R. David 13087	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_12614	Bullock	30 Apr 1965	BROWN, JIMMY E. S.N.	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
JSU139878	Cleburne	24 Jun 1969	Cofield, Jan s.n.	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA000032640	Covington	5 May 2011	HANSEN, CURTIS J. 5018	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
JSU139886	Etowah	28 May 1975	Whetstone, R. David 4096	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
TROY000034759	Barbour	01 May 2012	Diamond, Alvin R. 23009	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UWAL0015973	Bullock	26 Apr 2012	Dykes, Bailee 586	UWAL Rumex crispus L.
AUA_ACC_2093	Lee	20 May 1955	ARNER, DALE H. S.N.	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
TROY000008010	Escambia	21 May 1995	Brittain, Cynthia L. 237	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139970	Talladega	13 Jul 1992	Ballard, J. Mark 327	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139962	Marshall	20 May 1974	Whetstone, R. David 2764	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_2097	Lee	7 May 1949	CUNNINGHAM, HUGH B.	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
TROY000052118	Lowndes	21 May 2021	Diamond, Alvin R. 29625	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139887	Etowah	14 Jun 1974	Atkinson, Tim A. 307	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UNA00010188	Greene	14 Jun 1966	Naugle, Helen E. G94	UNA Rumex crispus L.
UWAL0005912	Houston	10 Apr 2008	Diamond, Alvin R. 18894.1	UWAL Rumex crispus L.
UNA00010154	Calhoun	10 May 1954	Sherman, Harry s.n.	UNA Rumex crispus L.
JSU139899	Limestone	27 Jun 1996	Whetstone, R. David 17908	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA000044318	Chambers	13 May 2016	HANSEN, CURTIS J. 6151	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
UWAL0009680	Jefferson	03 Apr 2009	Spaulding, Daniel D. 13156	UWAL Rumex crispus L.
JSU139961	Lowndes	09 Jun 1984	Whetstone, R. David 14122	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_35358	Covington	27 May 1979	CRAWFORD, LLOYD C. S.N.	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
UNA00010119	Tuscaloosa	23 May 1973	Wooten, Charles 35	UNA Rumex crispus L.
UNA00055722	Lamar	28 Apr 2002	Keener, Brian R. 2021	UNA Rumex crispus L.
UNA00010124	Tuscaloosa	18 May 1972	McPhail, Joe s.n.	UNA Rumex crispus L.
UNA00010109	Mobile	_ Jun 1886	Mohr, Charles s.n.	UNA Rumex crispus L.
JSU139973	Walker	17 Apr 1982	Whetstone, R. David 9481	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_44008	Conecuh	8 Jun 1986	DIAMOND, JR., ALVIN R. 2557	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
USAM000013127	Mobile	12 May 1973	LeLong, Michel G. 7040.1	USAM Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139877	Cleburne	26 Jun 1996	Hruska, Susan E. 1330	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UNA00010129	Hale	16 May 1966	Maginness, Sherrie E. 258	UNA Rumex crispus L.
AUA_ACC_46836	Russell	8 May 1981	MAYNARD, J.A. 74	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
JSU140933	Calhoun	29 May 1968	Landers, Kenneth E. s.n.	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
TROY000030850	Lee	18 May 1955	Arner, Dale H s.n.	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139883	Elmore	10 May 1980	Whetstone, R. David 10031	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139893	Jefferson	17 May 1984	Barber, J. Patrick 441	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_8056	Cherokee	8 May 1959	BRADY, JR., V.E. S.N.	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
JSU139880	Colbert	06 Jun 1975	Whetstone, R. David 4351	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UWAL0057022	Colbert	20 May 2023	England, Kevin J. 13625	UWAL Rumex crispus L.
UWAL0010870	Barbour	01 May 2012	Diamond, Alvin R. 23009	UWAL Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139869	Calhoun	28 Apr 1967	Collier, Gary s.n.	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UWAL0058042	Jefferson	17 May 1984	Barber, J. Patrick 441	UWAL Rumex crispus L.
JSU139971	Talladega	30 May 1973	Whetstone, R. David RDW-1147	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
TROY000036498	Henry	13 Jan 2013	Diamond, Alvin R. 23648	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UWAL0043646	Baldwin	28 Jan 2001	Larsen, Harry S. 734	UWAL Rumex crispus L.
AUA_ACC_47245	Madison	3 Jul 1981	BAIRD, E. 35	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
TROY000039465	Elmore	07 Jul 2011	Pullen, Robert 84	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139969	Talladega	27 May 1994	Ballard, J. Mark 4008	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139895	Lawrence	23 May 1974	Whetstone, R. David 3166	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_45792	Perry	22 May 1971	FULLER, C.W. 86	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
TROY000008008	Butler	22 Apr 2007	Diamond, Alvin R. 17426	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139888	Etowah	06 May 1973	Landers, Kenneth E. s.n.	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_53198	Bullock	15 May 1988	DIAMOND, JR., ALVIN R. 4768	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
UWAL0035226	Limestone	02 Jun 2017	England, J. Kevin 7874	UWAL Rumex crispus Linnaeus ssp. crispus
AUA_ACC_64418	Randolph	5 May 1986	NIXON, C.F. 2156	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
JSU139890	Jackson	27 May 1974	Whetstone, R. David 2902	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
TROY000008011	Montgomery	09 May 2006	Diamond, Alvin R. 16359	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UWAL0046895	Autauga	11 Apr 2017	Parker, Matthew R. 578	UWAL Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139963	Marshall	22 Apr 1992	Spaulding, Daniel D. 1346	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_20040	Lowndes	18 Jun 1970	MOORE, HAROLD D. 102	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
UNA00010154	Calhoun	10 May 1954	Sherman, Harry s.n.	UNA Rumex crispus L.
AUA000042424	Colbert	22 Apr 2014	BARGER, T.WAYNE SP1478	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
UWAL0056297	Lamar	26 May 2023	England, Kevin J. 13689	UWAL Rumex crispus L.
AUA_ACC_2096	Lee	15 May 1949	WOOD, P.A.	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
JSU139873	Clay	11 May 1994	Ballard, J. Mark 3914	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139881	Cullman	20 Jun 1975	Whetstone, R. David 4887	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_61058	Choctaw	21 Jun 1994	CROUCH, VIRGINIA E. 1016	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
AUA000038069	Limestone	2 Jun 2017	ENGLAND, J. KEVIN 7874	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L. SSP. CRISPUS
JSU139967	Morgan	10 Jun 1976	Atkinson, Tim A. 1870	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UNA00010114	Mobile	01 May 1965	Deramus, Rebecca D395	UNA Rumex crispus L.
USAM000013128	Baldwin	18 Mar 1968	LeLong, Michel G. 4213	USAM Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UNA00010144	Mobile	27 Mar 1982	Haynes, Robert R. 8512	UNA Rumex crispus L.
JSU139884	Elmore	27 Apr 1979	Whetstone, R. David 9624	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_30157	Talladega	18 May 1976	RUTLAND, DAVID W. 2939	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
UWAL0002668	Marengo	04 Jun 2010	England, J. Kevin 2529	UWAL Rumex crispus Linnaeus ssp. crispus
JSU139974	Winston	07 Jun 1975	Whetstone, R. David 4430	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_45793	Russell	16 May 1971	CARROLL, III, A.B. 97	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
UWAL0001614	Marengo	23 Mar 2009	England, J. Kevin 1702	UWAL Rumex crispus Linnaeus ssp. crispus
JSU139865	Calhoun	22 Feb 1993	Dasinger, Adam P. 6	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
TROY000045793	Autauga	11 Apr 2017	Parker, Matthew R. 578	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
USAM000013129	Mobile	29 May 1980	LeLong, Michel G. 11097	USAM Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139968	Morgan	31 May 1974	Whetstone, R. David 3043	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
ALNHS00001060	Dallas	08 Mar 2012	Barger, T. Wayne OC-656	ALNHS Rumex crispus L.
JSU139897	Lee	01 May 1964	Bozarth, Gene A. s.n.	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_51838	Pike	5 May 1988	DIAMOND, JR., ALVIN R. 4653	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
SAMF0006828	Mobile	13 Apr 2019	Thompson, Hannah 36	SAMF Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139898	Limestone	02 Jun 1997	Hofmann, Tim L. 00571	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139896	Lawrence	23 May 1974	Whetstone, R. David 3166	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_45398	Jefferson	12 May 1979	GILCHRIST, SCOTT M. 56	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
TROY000038400	Bullock	28 Mar 2013	Dykes, Bailee 1151	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139874	Clay	11 May 1972	Landers, Kenneth E. RDW-1144	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_41717	Macon	5 May 1973	GUYSE, KEITH D. 110	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
UWAL0037198	Cleburne	03 May 2016	Spaulding, Daniel D. 14592	UWAL Rumex crispus L.
TROY000008009	Coffee	03 Mar 2000	Martin, Brian H. 451	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139863	Blount	28 May 1975	Whetstone, R. David 4039	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
TROY000022607	Houston	10 Apr 2008	Diamond, Alvin R. 18894A	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139900	Lowndes	09 Jun 1984	Whetstone, R. David 14118	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_56669	Crenshaw	30 May 1996	DIAMOND, JR., ALVIN R. 10288	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
JSU139964	Marshall	02 Jun 1975	Whetstone, R. David 4157	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UNA00053816	Blount	13 May 1997	Keener, Brian R. 164	UNA Rumex crispus L.
TROY000033198	Jackson	13 May 2009	Barger, T. Wayne 113	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UWAL0037462	Bullock	13 May 2016	Soehren, Eric C. 265	UWAL Rumex crispus L. ssp crispus
JSU139966	Mobile	09 Apr 1976	Wayner, Gary A. 628	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
ALNHS00009520	Madison	11 Jun 2024	Barger, T. Wayne MSP-240	ALNHS Rumex crispus L.
UNA00010193	Montgomery	17 Apr 1960	Turner, Walter s.n.	UNA Rumex crispus L.
UNA00010149	Mobile	30 Apr 1966	Deramus, Rebecca D871	UNA Rumex crispus L.
JSU139889	Jackson	04 Apr 1998	Brodeur, Kristin R. 522	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_48938	Henry	7 Jul 1988	DIAMOND, JR., ALVIN R. 5157	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
SAMF0003615	Jefferson	14 May 2001	White, Janet F. 37	SAMF Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139876	Cleburne	26 Apr 1995	Hruska, Susan E. 676	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139875	Cleburne	24 May 1973	Whetstone, R. David RDW-1329	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_42977	Shelby	9 Jul 1972	LUCKETT, LARRY 78	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
JSU139864	Blount	24 May 1972	Landers, Kenneth E. RDW-1145	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA000038070	Morgan	1 Jun 2017	ENGLAND, J. KEVIN 7841	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L. SSP. CRISPUS
JSU146011	Calhoun	31 May 1993	Hutchinson, Francine 1603	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
SAMF0008490	Jefferson	23 Apr 2015	Moritz, Amanda 31	SAMF Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139892	Jefferson	09 May 1984	Barber, J. Patrick 206	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UNA00010119	Tuscaloosa	23 May 1973	Wooten, Charles 35	UNA Rumex crispus L.
TROY000008028	Dale	04 Apr 2000	Pennington, Tiffany 515	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139879	Colbert	06 Jun 1975	Whetstone, R. David 4351	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UNA00055615	Blount	16 Jun 1998	Keener, Brian R. 1049	UNA Rumex crispus L.
TROY000008012	Pike	14 May 1997	Evers, Astrid 122	TROY Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UNA00050064	Randolph	5 May 1986	Nixon, C.F. 2156	UNA Rumex crispus L.
AUA_ACC_34374	Perry	7 Jun 1977	SESSLER, ANN H. 1505	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
JSU139965	Mobile	27 Mar 1993	Hodge, Lesley M. 41	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_21154	Lee	12 May 1969	MOORE, HAROLD D. 222-69	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
UNA00010124	Tuscaloosa	18 May 1972	McPnail, Joe s.n.	UNA Rumex crispus L.
AUA_ACC_14876	Lee	2 May 1969	WHATLEY, JAMES L. 12	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
UWAL0038359	Mobile	06 Oct 1973	LeLong, Michel G. 7331.2	UWAL Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139882	Cullman	20 Jun 1975	Whetstone, R. David 4829	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UNA00010198	Tuscaloosa	01 Jun 1875	Smith, Eugene A. s.n.	UNA Rumex crispus L.
AUA_ACC_22201	Sumter	3 May 1970	SULLIVAN, TERRY K. 88	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
JSU139894	Jefferson	02 Apr 1976	Atkinson, Tim A. 1052	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139867	Calhoun	15 Jun 1982	Whetstone, R. David 11304	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
UNA00010134	Mobile	27 Mar 1982	Haynes, Robert R. 8512	UNA Rumex crispus L.
JSU139872	Cherokee	26 May 1973	Whetstone, R. David s.n.	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_22430	Baldwin	3 Jul 1970	ROGERS, NORMAN 65	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.
UWAL0012352	Bullock	28 Mar 2013	Dykes, Bailee 1551	UWAL Rumex crispus Linnaeus
JSU139870	Cherokee	06 May 1983	Whetstone, R. David 13087	JSU Rumex crispus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_60736	Montgomery	13 May 1967	BURNETT, ALTA M. 219	AUA RUMEX CRISPUS L.

View a List of All Ecological Communities

For more information, contact: Brian R. Keener, Ph.D.

Data last modified: 9/19/2025

Web Development: The Florida Center for Community Design + Research

A member of the University of South Florida family of PlantAtlas.org sites

Citation Information:

Keener, B.R., A.R. Diamond, T.W. Barger, L.J. Davenport, P.G. Davison, S.L. Ginzbarg, C.J. Hansen, D.D. Spaulding, J.K. Triplett, and M. Woods. 2025. Alabama Plant Atlas. [S.M. Landry and K.N. Campbell (original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research. University of South Florida]. University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama.

Data, text, and images licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Rumex crispus

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Synonyms

Specimens and Distribution