Re: Rumex
The Rev. Martin's book is certainly one of my most used reference books on our
(British) native flora. I have looked up
Rumex obtusifolius in another splendid book, Richard Mabey's "Flora Britannica".
Some of the uses for this plant include an ointment made up of Dock leaves and
pigs lard for treating piles (hemorrhoids), covering freshly made butter with
the leaves to keep the butter cool in summer and for cleaning dogs backsides ! I
do hope they used the leaves for the former before they used them for the latter
!!
Martin Froggatt, Derbyshire, England.
avrilh wrote:
> Kemberly, There is a coarser-leaved relation of edible sorrels (same family,
> polygonaceae): R. obtusifolius, the broad Dock, which grows wild in Britain
> and N. America. The Rev. W. Keble Martin's "Concise British Flora in
> Colour", paintings and drawings of British wild flowers, a life-time's work
> and all drawn from nature with great care, names R. sanguineus as Red-veined
> Dock. It isn't mentioned as edible, but the Broad Dock leaves are a
> possible potherb, though bitter and anything but delicious. All these
> sorrels have traditional country uses, for poultices, reducing
> inflammation - remember rubbing nettle stings with the nearest dock-leaf? -
> also wool-dyes. If yours is that Dock, nil by mouth is my guess! Avril.
>
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