Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Rumex
Species: R. flexuosus
Binomial name: Rumex flexuosus
Synonymy: Rumex cunninghamii, Rumex brownianus,
Common name: Runa, Maori dock, New Zealand dock, Native dock, rungarunga
Rumex flexuosus is an endemic rhizomatous herb which is a member of the dock family Polygonaceae. It grows in the North, South, and Stewart Islands. It is generally confined to seasonally boggy and damp sites.
It is a sprawling plant growing to about 25 cm tall and spreads up to 0.5 m. It has burnished copper coloured foliage and wiry flower and seed stalks. The small, insignificant bronze flowers appear in late spring/summer.
The early Maori use to use the juice of leaves used on abrasions, wounds, cuts, pierced ears etc. It was also used as a poultice to draw poison from sores and boils.
November
Rumex flexuosus growing in a grass area lakeside March, Westcoast.
Leaf colour can vary. The surface of a leaf.
The underside of a leaf.
Photographed at Otari Wilton Nature Reserve, Wellington
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
