About Rumex hypogaeus T.M.Schust. & Reveal
Rumex hypogaeus T.M.Schust. & Reveal grows between 10 and 60 cm tall, and its stems can be prostrate, decumbent, or ascending. Its stem base is often reddish. Its leaves are stalked, with no surface covering, and leaf blades measure 1–10 cm long by 0.5–6 cm wide. Each sheathed bundle holds 1 to 8 staminate (male) flowers. These male flowers have narrow oblong tepals that are 1.5–2 mm long. Pistillate (female) flowers grow in groups of 1 to 4 per sheathed bundle. When in fruit, the outer tepals of female flowers are ovate to oblong and measure 4–6 mm long, while the inner tepals are broadly triangular and measure 5–6 mm long. Its achenes, which are dry one-seeded fruits that do not open at maturity, are 4–6 mm long by 2–3 mm wide, and have a shiny surface. This species flowers year-round. It prefers disturbed sites growing on sandy soils. It is native to South Africa, and has become naturalised in California, Trinidad, Europe, India, Pakistan, Taiwan, Hawaii, and Australia.
