PALE DOCK
Rumex altissimus
BUCKWHEAT FAMILY (Polygonaceae)
This native perennial grows up to 3 feet tall. The erect main stem has darker green lines near its base and papery sheaths to support the leaf stems. The leaves are lance-shaped, up to 8 inches long, becoming smaller towards the top of the plant. They do not have curly edges. The green flowers are numerous on spikes near the top of the plant. The fruit is dark brown, three-sided, with wings. The similar Curly Dock (Rumex crispus) has curly-edged leaves.
Grows in or near water along rivers and ponds, flowering from April through July. In Fontenelle Forest, locally common along the Missouri River at the end of Child’s Hollow Trail.
Considered a weed in Nebraska.
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