Habitat
Type: waste land
Distribution: throughout northern hemisphere
Other: invasive, forming dense patches

General
Growth type: herb
Cycle: perennial
Height: up to 3 meters

Leaf
Shape: shield
Texture: thin, matt
Arrangement: alternate
Edge: smooth
Other: up to 15cm

Stem
Cross Section: hollow and woody when mature

Root
Type: woody rhizome
Colour: bright orange
Size: extensive
Depth: very deep

Flower
Diameter: tiny
Arrangement: large clusters at top
When: July to October
Other:
Colour:

Seed
Size: tiny
Other: needs long, hot summer to mature

May cause photo sensitivity in sensitive people.

Contains oxalic acid. Oxalic acid can bind up other minerals, especially calcium. May aggravate rheumatic conditions, kidney stones, hyper acidity or osteoporosis. May be reduced by cooking, possibly also if eaten with a source of salts derived from methyl salicylate (salicylic acid etc.) from sources such as dried Meadowsweet. Eat in moderation.

This plant is often sprayed with herbicides and may not show signs of wilting. Only pick from areas known to be untreated.

April to October
April and May
all year
August to October (will seed only in warmer areas)

Flavour
Rating and Description:
cooked: sour, rhubarb-like (raw: astringent)

How to Consume
cooked, leaf curd (low yield, but acid content allows curdling without heat)
shoots up to 20cm: cooked
cooked
raw

Special preparation
older stems : peel
As the seed is small and could easily pass through the digestive system, it is best to grind them to allow absorption of nutrients.

Nutrition
Unspecified part: Vitamin C, Resveratrol

Used as ...
food
food, as lemon substitute in recipes

Action:
anticancer, depurative, diuretic, emollient, febrifuge, laxative, stomachic

stain remover for pots
yellow dye

Collection
Destroy all remnants by burning or thorough maceration in water. Avoid leaving pieces in the ground.

Note
Seriously invasive weed which is illegal to grow or dispose of in landfill sites. It has long-lived, extremely deep roots which spread laterally, and grows new plant from small fragments. Disturbing the root can cause the plant to put up new shoots. It is tolerant of herbicides.

Habitat for invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians. Source of nectar for bees late in the season.

Plant parts:
leaf
stem or trunk
sap
root, bulb, tuber and other below ground parts
flower
fruit
seed

Use:
culinary use
medicinal use
household use

Other:
caution

Glossary of Medicinal Terms and Nutritive Substances

• anticancer: used in the treatment of cancer
• depurative: eliminates toxins and purifies the system, especially the blood
• diuretic: increases secretion and elimination of urine
• emollient: applied to the skin softens, soothes, protects (externally, as demulcents do internally)
• febrifuge: reduces fever; use only for dangerously high temperature; a raised temperature is the body's way of burning up the pathogen
• laxative: evacuates the bowels or softens stools
• resveratrol: an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral; may protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease
• stomachic: treats stomach disorders