Sheep Sorrel

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Canada(Amerindian), US, Dutch, Spanish, India, French, Europe, Uk(Wales)

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Cancer, Depurative, Diaphoretic, Diuretic

Science studied: ADENOSINE, ANTHRAQUINONES, ASH, AUXIN

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Polygonaceae

Scientific name: Rumex acetosella

Common names: Sheep Sorrel, Common Sheep Sorrel, Common sheep sorrel, Dail Surion Bach, Drigon, Dringol, Field Dock, Sheep-sorrel, Red-sorrel, Field Sorrel, Field dock, Sheep-sorrel, Red-sorrel, Kleiner Sauer-Ampfer, Kleiner Sauerampfer

POWO: 224391-2 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Canada(Amerindian), US, Elsewhere, Dutch, Spanish, India, French, Europe and 7 additional places.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Cancer
• Depurative
• Diaphoretic
• Diuretic
• Purgative
• Scurvy
• Skin
• Sudorific

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Canada(Amerindian)
• US
• Elsewhere
• Dutch
• Spanish
• India
• French
• Europe
• Uk(Wales)
• Tasmania
• Sanscrit
• Venezuela

Documented cultural uses

• Cancer
• Depurative
• Diaphoretic
• Diuretic
• Purgative
• Scurvy
• Skin
• Sudorific
• Tumor(Eye)
• Wart
• Cancer(Throat)
• Poison

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Cancer · Canada(Amerindian) · "
• Cancer · US · "
• Depurative · US · "
• Diaphoretic · Elsewhere · "
• Diuretic · Elsewhere · "
• Purgative · Dutch · "
• Scurvy · Spanish · "
• Scurvy · Elsewhere · "
• Skin · India · "
• Sudorific · French · "
• Tumor(Eye) · Europe · "
• Wart · Uk(Wales) · "
• Cancer(Throat) · Tasmania · "
• Poison · Sanscrit · "
• Styptic · Venezuela · "
• Cancer · Elsewhere · "
• Diuretic · Italian · "
• Fever · German · "
• Poison · Elsewhere · "
• Refrigerant · Elsewhere · "
• Tumor · Elsewhere · "
• Wart · Na(Aleutian I) · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Independent and hierarchical effects of ecological factors on invasion resistance to Rumex acetosella: Priority effects dominate. · 2026 source ↗
• Drivers of growth and establishment of the invasive plant Rumex acetosella within Andean fallow systems · 2024 source ↗
• Modified Polymeric Biosorbents from <i>Rumex acetosella</i> for the Removal of Heavy Metals in Wastewater. · 2022 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ADENOSINE
• ANTHRAQUINONES
• ASH
• AUXIN
• CALCIUM-OXALATE
• CALCIUM-OXIDE
• CHALCONES
• CHRYSOPHANIC-ACID
• CHRYSOPHANOL
• EMODIN
• FAT
• HYPERIN
• ISOPENTENYL-ADENINE
• MAGNESIUM-OXIDES
• PHOSPHORUS-OXIDES
• PHYSCION

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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