Common weedy dock spotted and verified on a Washington street corner
iNaturalist: damian_bean
Invasive Species
That scrappy weed poking through the sidewalk cracks near your mailbox is exactly the kind of everyday sighting that, once logged and confirmed by other naturalists, feeds real distribution maps scientists use to track how common plants spread through cities.
Someone out in Centralia, Washington noticed a broad-leaved dock plant growing right at a street intersection and snapped a photo to record it. Other users on iNaturalist looked at the photo and agreed on the identification, which bumped it up to 'research-grade,' meaning it's now solid enough data for scientists to use. It's a small moment, but it's how citizen naturalists build the giant picture of where plants actually grow.
Key Findings
Observation confirmed as broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius) and elevated to research-grade status through community identification consensus
Location recorded at S Tower Ave. & W Cherry St., Centralia, Washington (zip 98531), documenting the species' presence in an urban street setting
Rumex obtusifolius is a widespread, often weedy perennial commonly found in disturbed urban and roadside habitats across North America
chevron_right Technical Summary
A community naturalist documented broad-leaved dock, a common weedy plant, growing at a street corner in Centralia, Washington, and the sighting was verified by other observers as research-grade data.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius) observed in S Tower Ave. & W Cherry St., Centralia, WA 98531, USA
Research-grade observation of broad-leaved dock in S Tower Ave. & W Cherry St., Centralia, WA 98531, USA.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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Rumex obtusifolius, commonly known as bitter dock, broad-leaved dock, bluntleaf dock, dock leaf, dockens or butter dock, is a perennial plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is native to Europe, but is found on all temperate continents. It is a highly invasive species in some zones, resulting from...