Photographs: Co. Cork

Sheeps Sorrel Rumex acetosella Samhadh caorach Family: Polygonaceae Flowering time: May-August. Dioecious perennial. Native. Red/pink flowers in loose upright spikes, the fruiting sepals slightly enlarged and shorter than the nut. Erect stems with shiny, hairless hastate leaves, the basal lobes spreading. Spreads widely by means of slender creeping rhizomes. Height: 7-30 cm. Throughout Ireland on dry acidic ground on heaths, shingle beaches, roadsides, gardens, nutrient-poor grassland and arable land. Similar: Common Sorrel, Rumex acetosa

Sheep's Sorrel, Rumex acetosella, Samhadh caorach