Rumex spinosus

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-CoreEudicot Order: Caryophyllales Family: Polygonaceae Genus: Rumex

devil's thorn, prickly doc, spiny emex

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Annual herbs 3–8 dm tall.

Stems: Stems decumbent to ascending.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades ovate to nearly deltate, 5–42 cm long, 1.1–12 cm wide. Surfaces glabrous. Margins entire to undulate. Petioles 2–29 cm long. Stipules present, ocreae membranous or dry and membranous, the margins becoming lacerate.

Flowers: Flowers in staminate flowers in terminal and axillary, pedunculate clusters; pistillate flowers axillary, sessile. Flowers unisexual. Tepals of staminate flowers narrowly oblong–oblanceolate, ca. 1.5–2 mm long; pistillate flowers outer tepals ca. 4–6 mm long in fruit, tipped with divergent spines, inner ones erect, 5–6 mm long. Stamens in staminate flower 4–6. Ovary superior; styles 3, erect, distinct; stigmas penicillate.

Fruit: Nuts pale brown; glossy; ca. 4 mm long.

Ploidy: 2n = 20

Habitat: Open; dry to mesic; disturbed habitats.

Elevation Range: 150–1,950 m.

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Maui Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Specimens

Notes

  • 150-1950
  • Description digitized by Joanne
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • Molokai in 1928

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 337 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1060 (O, Mo, M, H); Parker & Parsons 2012b:71 (remove H, spms. misidentified as Emex australis)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Rumex spinosus L. Kawaihapai PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Swezey, O.H. s.n. Oahu BISH 2/16/1930
2 Rumex spinosus L. Mokuleia in pasture PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Caum, E.L. s.n. Oahu BISH 1/1/1932
3 Rumex spinosus L. haleakala, w slope, pukalani PRESERVED_SPECIMEN yamada, t. Maui BISH 4/21/1955
4 Rumex spinosus L. palikea, ridge ridge of pasture land PRESERVED_SPECIMEN pearsall, g.a. Oahu BISH 3/24/1954
5 Rumex spinosus L. maunahui rd. ca 2 mi. down from forest reserve boundary PRESERVED_SPECIMEN thorne, k. 9220 UCS 5/4/1991
6 Rumex spinosus L. mokuleia, waialua, oahu in vacant lot PRESERVED_SPECIMEN degener, o. collector number: 27079 Oahu BISH 6/26/1960
7 Rumex spinosus L. East Maui, Waiakoa PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Krauss, N.L.H. 888 Maui BISH 4/21/1963
8 Rumex spinosus L. kawaihapai PRESERVED_SPECIMEN swezey, o.h. collector number: 377-0 Oahu BISH 2/16/1930
9 Rumex spinosus L. kawaihapai PRESERVED_SPECIMEN swezey, o.h. Oahu BISH 2/16/1930
10 Rumex spinosus L. East Maui, along Haliimaile Road. Growing on the margins of cane fields. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hobdy, R.W. 4307 Maui BISH 3/11/2009
11 Rumex spinosus L. east maui, waiakoa PRESERVED_SPECIMEN krauss, n.l.h. collector number: 888 Maui BISH 4/21/1963
12 Rumex spinosus L. east maui, along haleakala highway, just below pukalani edge of cane fields PRESERVED_SPECIMEN hobdy, r.w. collector number: 2382 Maui BISH 4/25/1985
13 Rumex spinosus L. molokai island co.; maunahui rd. ca 2 miles down from forest reserve boundary. SW slope PRESERVED_SPECIMEN k. h. thorne 9220 NY 5/4/1991
14 Rumex spinosus L. lalamilo, on vegetable farm owned by r. hirako. Along roadside, with various weeds. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN p. conant & c. hirayama s.n Hawaii US 2/16/2005
15 Rumex spinosus L. r. hirako property, lalamilo PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hawaii US 2/16/2005
16 Rumex spinosus L. In dry pineapple field, west Molokai. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN E. Y. Hosaka 505 Molokai PTBG 8/15/1931
17 Rumex spinosus L. E. Maui, Kalialinui. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hank Oppenheimer H40151 Maui PTBG 4/29/2001
18 Rumex spinosus L. Hoolehua. Naturalized in abandoned field. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Otto Degener 18174 Molokai PTBG 4/4/1928
19 Rumex spinosus L. waimea PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hawaii US 2/16/2005
20 Rumex spinosus L. w molokai PRESERVED_SPECIMEN e. y. hosaka 505 Molokai US 8/15/1931
21 Rumex spinosus L. makahala, parker ranch PRESERVED_SPECIMEN r. goff s.n. Oahu US
22 Rumex spinosus L. west molokai Indry pineapple field PRESERVED_SPECIMEN hosaka, e.y. collector number: 505 Molokai BISH 8/15/1931
23 Rumex spinosus L. west Molokai Indry pineapple field PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hosaka, E.Y. 505 Molokai BISH 8/15/1931
24 Rumex spinosus L. Palikea, ridge ridge of pasture land PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Pearsall, G.A. s.n. Oahu BISH 3/24/1954
25 Rumex spinosus L. Hoolehua, Molokai in abandoned field PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Degener, O. 18174 Molokai BISH 4/4/1928
26 Rumex spinosus L. East Maui, along Haleakala highway, just below Pukalani edge of cane fields PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hobdy, R.W. 2382 Maui BISH 4/25/1985
27 Rumex spinosus L. Mokuleia, Waialua, Oahu in vacant lot PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Degener, O. 27079 Oahu BISH 6/26/1960
28 Rumex spinosus L. Waianae Mts., along road mauka of Dillingham Airfield. Associated canopy: Casuarina equisetifolia, Schinus terebinthifolius, Leucaena leucocephala. Understory: Cynodon dactylon, Plantago major, Cerastium glomeratum, Calyptocarpus vialis, Sporobolus indicus. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Tschannen, K. USARMY 470 Oahu BISH 1/16/2018
29 Rumex spinosus L. Kawaihapai PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Swezey, O.H. 377-0 Oahu BISH 2/16/1930
30 Rumex spinosus L. Haleakala, W slope, Pukalani PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Yamada, T. s.n. Maui BISH 4/21/1955
31 Rumex spinosus L. east maui, along haliimaile road. Growing on the margins of cane fields. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN hobdy, r.w. collector number: 4307 Maui BISH 3/11/2009
32 Rumex spinosus L. hoolehua, molokai in abandoned field PRESERVED_SPECIMEN degener, o. collector number: 18174 Molokai BISH 4/4/1928
33 Rumex spinosus L. mokuleia Scattered over a few acres, with Eucalyptus, Panicum maximum. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN caum, e.l. Oahu BISH 1/8/1932