Rumex kerneri

Kerner's dock

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Kerner's dock is a naturalized perennial herb found in central California bioregions including the Carrizo Plain, southern Coast Ranges, and northern coastal areas in disturbed areas, oak woodlands, and grasslands at elevations below 700 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces small greenish flowers in dense, interrupted terminal clusters with whorled branches. Growing with slender stems 50 to 100 centimeters tall, it develops a vertical fusiform taproot and appears somewhat papillate. Its large oblong to lanceolate leaves measure 15 to 25 centimeters long with entire or slightly wavy margins, featuring a truncate or slightly heart-shaped base. The fruit is small, brown, and approximately 3 millimeters long with distinctive round inner perianth lobes.

Habitat: Disturbed areas, oak woodland, grassland

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: < 700 m

Bioregions: CaRF, n ScV, sw SnJV (Carrizo Plain), s CCo, SCoR, n SCo

California counties: Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Tehama, Shasta, Ventura, Siskiyou

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.