Sorrel

Sorrel (Rumex), a genus of plants of the natural order Polygoneæ, very closely allied to Polygonum (q.v.) and Fagopyrum (see BUCKWHEAT), but having the perianth divided into six segments, the three inner of which enlarge and cover the achenium. The genus is very naturally divided into two sections, the first of which is already noticed in the article DOCK. The name Sorrel belongs only to the second, characterised by dicocious flowers and acidity of stems and leaves. Common Sorrel (R. acetosa) is a perennial found in meadows and pastures throughout the whole of Europe, and is very plentiful in Britain. Its stem is from a foot to two feet high, its leaves arrow-shaped. It is an agreeable salad, and is used in soups and sauces and as an addition to dishes of greens. It is therefore sometimes cultivated in gardens. French Sorrel, or Roman Sorrel (R. scutatus), a native of France and Italy, has broader and blunter leaves, and is more frequently cultivated than Common Sorrel, being considered of finer flavour. Sheep's Sorrel (R. acetosella) is a very similar plant, but of much smaller size, and its roots run very much under ground, so that it is a very troublesome weed in gardens and fields of poor dry soil, in which it is very common in all parts of Britain. R. patenticia and R. sanguinea are both regarded on the Continent as good spinach plants. For Wood-sorrel, a totally different plant, see OXALIDÆ. For the Red Sorrel of the West Indies, see HIBISCUS.