Rumex wallichii (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Rumex wallichii Meisn.

Protologue: in DC., Prodr. 14(1): 48 (1856).

Family: Polygonaceae

Vernacular names

• Vietnam: chút chít, lưỡi bò.

Distribution

Occurring in India, China and Vietnam.

Uses

In Vietnam, the leaves are put into baths against scabies, while the bruised leaves are used in the treatment of ringworm. The root in decoction is taken as a laxative.

Observations

• A robust, annual herb, 40-120 cm tall, stem angular, little branched.
• Basal leaves lanceolate, 15-20 cm × 2-5 cm, base cuneate, apex acute, margin undulate-crenate.
• Inflorescence a terminal or subterminal raceme or panicle.
• Flowers bisexual, inner perianth segments ovoid, 1-1.5 mm long, enlarged in fruit, margins entire, tubercles on all valves, subequal.
• Nutlet oblong.

In Vietnam, R. wallichii grows in wet locations, along roads and irrigation canals. R. wallichii is very close to R. maritimus, but differs in the margins of the valves which are entire, not toothed.

Selected sources

• [736] Nguyen Thi Do, 1994. Family Polygonaceae Juss. in the Flora of Vietnam. Journal of Biology (Hanoi) 16(4): 77—78. (in Vietnamese)
• [739] Nguyen Van Duong, 1993. Medicinal plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Mekong Printing, Santa Ana, California, United States. 528 pp.
• [788] Pételot, A., 1952—1954. Les plantes médicinales du Cambodge, du Laos et du Vietnam [The medicinal plants of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam]. 4 volumes. Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques et Techniques, Saigon, Vietnam.

Main genus page

• Rumex (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• Nguyen Thi Do