Scientific Family
Polygalaceae
Other common names
toothed willow dock
lake willow dock
Mexican dock
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
1 to 2 feet
Riparian
Yes
A perennial with a slender stem lying on the ground and spreading or erect; leaves can be most any shape; flower head is an interrupted series of clusters of flowers; each flower hangs from a stalk.
Stems erect to ascending; leafy shoots in leaf axils, leaf blade thick or thin, may be leathery, narrow to lance-like; flowers on terminal stems, sepals and petals similar, inner lobes distinctly narrower than the tubercle (swelling inside flower).
Habitat
Shores of streams and rivers, wet mountain meadows, and rocky slopes.
Plant Community
Riparian
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
0
High elevation
9800
Flower Characteristics
Flower head is interrupted series of clusters of flowers; up to 20 flowers in each cluster, and each flower hangs from a stalk; usually has 6 tepals (parts cannot be classified as petals or sepals), inner 3 are largest with rounded wart-like bumps.
Flower color
Green, reddish
Flower shape
Irregular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
0
Last bloom month
0
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Stems erect or ascending; axillary shoots below attaching nodes; leaf blades narrow and lance-like or almost linear, 2 to 6 inches long; to 3/4 inch wide; widest near middle; flat and smooth (not wavy) with smooth margins; base wedge-shaped.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green, pale green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
1/16 inch long and 1/16 inch wide.
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit color
Dark reddish-brown