Becoming Acquainted with Sheep's Sorrel

Rumex acetosella is a member of the Rumex genus, which is well-known for its annual, biennial, and perennial herbs. Acetosella is a species of flowering plants and perennial weeds that thrive for more than two years. Together, the genus and species combine to form the specimen name, which is also known as red sorrel or sheep's sorrel.

Rumex acetosella, a preserved specimen varying in height from 4 to 12 inches, may be seen on the right. On August 22, 1933, botanist Francis Raymond Fosberg obtained this sample in the Haleakala floor crater. The roots, leaf form, and flowering parts of this plant are all noteworthy. Starting at the bottom of both samples, we can see that the roots are quite thin and short, indicating that they do not require a lot of water to thrive but do need at least a little to survive. As we move away from the roots, we notice the next essential feature: the various leaf shapes. On the right the leaves look very thin and scrambled whereas the leaves on the left look thicker and arrow shaped. Lastly, the flowering parts that extend to the topmost part of the plant grow on very thin branches and in clusters. The flowers grow from spring through the beginning of fall, with female flowers being red and male flowers being yellow-green. Once the flowers bloom they turn into a small red fruit called achene that are single seeded. 
 

Rumex acetosella was first found in Europe when Italian naturalist Nicola Onorati discovered the acidic plant was damiming the teeth of his animals. The plant was later brought to the United States with the colonists when they sent out for their voyage to the New World. Today, our project specimen from the UCLA Herbarium can be found all around the world and is grown in open grassy areas, usually best grown in acidic areas.

The green stemmed branch and red female flowers depicted above are present in the historical image of Rumex acetosella. In researching the Materia Medica and analyzing the metadata collected about Rumex acetosella, we have discovered that the medicinal properties of the specimen are described as being diuretic, diaphoretic, and refrigerant. In essence, it may increase urine flow, perspiration, and relieve thirst.  In addition to these properties just described, sheep’s sorrel may also be used in a formula for essiac, an herbal tea used to treat cancer. Tea prepared from the leaves can help with fever, inflammation, and scurvy, whilst tea made from the roots can help with diarrhea and severe cramping during a woman's menstrual cycle.


Introducing Eriogonum cinereum

After investigating our main plant, we went to the UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden and observed a plant that is similar to Rumex acetosella. The plant in question was Eriogonum cinereum, a Polygonaceae family member and member of the Eriogonum genus. The plant, known popularly as coastal buckwheat, is a large shrub that receives direct sunlight. In the summer, we may expect Eriogonum cinereum to bloom with light pink flowers.


In researching both the R. acetosella and E. cinereum plants,we noted there were important similarities and differences between the two plants. Both plants belong to the Polygonaceae plant family, which indicates that as they grow, they may share similar features with both their appearance and potentially medical benefits. Rumex acetosella, also known as Sheep's Sorrel, can grow up to 16 inches in height. Eriogonum cinereum on the other hand can grow taller in length and can reach up to 1 meter (around 40 inches) in height. R. acetosella can either be a female or male plant and the way to tell them apart is by the color of their flower, the female flowers are red and the male flowers are a yellow-greenish color. The hair on the E. cinereum plant gives the stem a silverish color, and the leaves are oval shaped and can grow to be 1-3 inches long. The hairy flowers on this plant are a light pinkish brown color. Rumex acetosella can be found in grassland and open field areas all around the northern hemisphere while E. cinereum are mostly found along the coasts of California and is a drought tolerant plant which thrives off clay, loam, and sand and requires strong consistent drainage. R. acetosella and E. cinereum can be used for alternative medicine however Rumex Acetosella helps with inflammation and pain; E. cinereumcould be made into a tea form to alleviate headaches and stomach aches. 

On Friday February 4, 2022 we took a trip to the UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden to locate the E. cinereum plant. When finally finding the plant we first realized that the soil was dry, and rocky. There were some parts of the plant that were young, fresh, and growing, and some parts that were dried up,and dying. We gathered the parts of the plant that were on the floor to conduct our research on the plant. We collected five different parts of the E. cinereum plant and then brought the pieces back to the classroom where we then started creating our annotations and  observations. We concluded with creating our own research page.