Rumex scutatus

French sorrel, Buckler-leaved sorrel

PolygonaceaeLeavesPotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Herb, Vegetable

The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, offering a delicious lemon-like flavour. Most people find them overpowering in large quantities, but they make a delightful addition to salads and can also be used as a pot-herb. This species has less acidic leaves than sorrel (R. acetosa), making it a frequently preferred alternative. The leaves should be used sparingly due to their oxalic acid content.

Known Hazards

Plants can contain quite high levels of oxalic acid, which is what gives the leaves of many members of this genus an acid-lemon flavour. Perfectly alright in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since the oxalic acid can lock-up other nutrients in the food, especially calcium, thus causing mineral deficiencies. The oxalic acid content will be reduced if the plant is cooked. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. It does well on rocky well-drained soil. It needs a protected sunny position. It grows in alpine and sub-alpine regions. It suits hardiness zones 3-9.

Africa, Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Caucasus, Egypt, Europe, France*, Georgia, Germany, India, Iraq, Italy, Mediterranean, Middle East, North Africa, North America, Sicily, Slovenia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, USA,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Antigua & Barbuda, Albania, Angola, Austria, Australia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Barbados, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Bahamas, Botswana, Belarus, Belize, Canada, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Switzerland, Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cape Verde, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Djibouti, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Estonia, Egypt, Eritrea, Spain, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, United Kingdom, Grenada, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Croatia, Haiti, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Comoros, St Kitts & Nevis, Kuwait, Lebanon, St Lucia, Liechtenstein, Liberia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Libya, Morocco, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, Madagascar, North Macedonia, Mali, Mauritania, Malta, Mauritius, Malawi, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Panama, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sierra Leone, San Marino, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, El Salvador, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Tanzania, Ukraine, Uganda, United States, St Vincent, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A leafy plant which keeps growing from year to year. It grows in clumps It is low growing and forms mats. The clumps can be 10-15 cm tall. The leaves are as broad as long and small. The leaves are 15 cm long and 8 cm wide. They are dark green and somewhat crinkly. The crisply or wavy edges help distinguish it. They have reddish stems. The flower stalks are long and tough and have red streaks. The flowers are small and greenish. The seeds are brown.

How to Grow

A very easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but preferring a moist moderately fertile well-drained soil in a sunny position. Prefers a rather dry soil. Established plants are drought tolerant. Plants often self-sow freely in the garden. Buckler-leafed sorrel is occasionally cultivated for its edible leaves. There are some named varieties that have been selected for their ornamental value. A food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterfly. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. Thick or swollen - fibrous or tap root.

Propagation: Sow seed in spring in a cold frame; germination is rapid. Prick seedlings into individual pots once large enough and plant out in early summer. Seed can also be sown in situ in mid spring. Division in spring is straightforward, though establishment is best at that time. Larger divisions can go directly into permanent positions. Smaller divisions are best potted up and grown on in a lightly shaded cold frame until well established, then planted out in summer.

Medicinal Uses

The leaves are antiscorbutic, astringent, diuretic, laxative, and refrigerant, though the plant is rarely employed as a specifically medicinal herb.

Other Uses

The cultivar 'Silver Shield' makes a good, if rampant, ground cover beside paths and at the front of borders. Roots of plants in this genus yield dark green to brown and dark grey dyes without requiring a mordant. This plant acts as a dynamic accumulator, gathering minerals and nutrients from the soil and storing them in a more bioavailable form for use as fertilizer or mulch. It is also noted for attracting wildlife and for use in food forest systems.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Rumex scutatus (syn. Rumex alpestris) is a plant in the buckwheat family, used as a culinary herb. Its common names include French sorrel, buckler sorrel, shield-leaf sorrel, and sometimes the culinary name "green-sauce". As a culinary herb, it is used in salads, soups, and sauces (especially for fish). French sorrel tastes tart from its oxalic acid content, with a hint of lemon. Later in the season, it can be bitter. French sorrel is hardy in most regions, tolerating frost, full sun and short dry spells. It grows quickly to a clump up to 1 m (3.3 ft) in diameter, with long leaves up to 10 cm (4 in) wide. It is sometimes preferred for culinary uses to Rumex acetosa, garden sorrel.

Production

The young tender leaves are harvested and used fresh.

Other Information

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable.

Notes

There are about 200 Rumex species.

Names & Synonyms

Aceturia, Agrietas, Ambavati, Amrula, Citulidda, Dastursusu, Eksimen, Gholo, ščitasta kislica, Tirsokturs

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