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 | Sorrel (Mountain) Other Names:
Botanical Name: Oxyria reniformis
Family: N.O. Germaniaceae |
Description: |
The Mountain Sorrel is found distributed in the Arctic regions and the Alps of the north temperate zone, and grows by streams in Wales, Yorks and northwards.
It has the characters of the allied genus Rumex, approaching the Common Sorrel in habit, but is shorter and stouter. The leaves are all from the root, fleshy and kidneyshaped. The flowers are green, growing in clustered spikes. The generic name, Oxyria, is derived from the Greek oxys (sharp), from the acid flavouring of the stem and leaves, which make it, like the other Sorrels, an excellent pot-herb and antiscorbutic. |
Ancient Lore: |
SORREL (Mountain) OXYRIA DIGYNA (=0. RENIFORMIS)
The leaves are as sour as the Common.
Mountain Sorrel is shorter and stouter than Common Sorrel, with blueish-green leaves and reddish-green flowers.
Where to find it: It grows in gardens, but is found wild in the mountainous regions of Europe, especially in damp rocky places and beside mountain streams.
Flowering time: Midsummer.
Astrology: Under Venus.
Medicinal virtues: May be used in place of Common Sorrel in both salads and as a medicine.
Modern uses: Not widely available and therefore only used by those familiar with it, mainly as a laxative. Its properties are similar to Common Sorrel |
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