Rumex acetosa (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Rumex acetosa L.

Protologue: Sp. pl. 1: 337 (1753).

Family: Polygonaceae

Synonyms

• Rumex acetosella sensu Pham Hoang Ho (1970).

Vernacular names

• Sorrel (En)
• Cambodia: slök mchuu
• Vietnam: rau chua, rau bó xôi, toan thảo.

Distribution

Native to Eurasia, now widely distributed in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, and cultivated in Indo-China.

Uses

In Europe, R. acetosa is used as a diuretic, and is said to improve resistance to infections. In Vietnam, the leaves are used in local medicine for the treatment of constipation, furuncles and ringworm. The leaves are also eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable and have a sour taste. Cultivated in Vietnam as a medicinal herb and as a vegetable.

Observations

• A dioecious, perennial herb, 30-80 cm tall, stem sometimes branched, tinged red, roots thick and long.
• Basal leaves sagittate, lobes directed backward, 3-11 cm × 0.5-3.5 cm, cauline leaves few.
• Inflorescence a narrow, loose panicle; male flowers with all perianth segments alike, 2-3 mm long, female flowers with outer perianth segments 1 mm long, reflexed, inner segments pinkish-red, orbicular-cordate, 3-5 mm long, tubercled at base.
• Nutlet ellipsoid.

R. acetosa occurs in humid meadows, along roadsides and canals.

Selected sources

• [455] Huang, T.-C. (Editor), 1993—. Flora of Taiwan. 2nd Edition. Editorial Committee of the Flora of Taiwan, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
• [473] Ito, H., 1986. Effects of the antitumor agents from various natural sources on drug-metabolizing system, phagocytic activity and complement system in sarcoma 180-bearing mice. Japanese Journal of Pharmacology 40(3): 435—434.
• [647] Mansfeld, R., 1986. Verzeichnis landwirtschaftlicher und gärtnerischer Kulturpflanzen (ohne Zierpflanzen) [Register of agricultural and horticultural plants in cultivation (without ornamentals)]. Schultze-Motel, J. et al. (Editors). 2nd Edition. 4 volumes. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany. 1998 pp.
• [914] Siemonsma, J.S. & Kasem Piluek (Editors), 1993. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 8. Vegetables. Pudoc Scientific Publishers, Wageningen, the Netherlands. 412 pp.

Main genus page

• Rumex (Medicinal plants)
• See also under Rumex (PROSEA Vegetables) for the vegetable use.

Authors

• Nguyen Thi Do