English: A haven for dock plants (Rumex) In this strip of uncultivated land that forms the border between fields and a small woodland, dock plants are thriving. Docks and sorrels (also called dockweed), are common perennial herbs that grow in acidic, sour soils. Members of this plant family have many uses. The leaves of the broad leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius, also known as butter dock) - depicted above - were used to wrap and to conserve butter. Most docks contain oxalic acid and tannin, and have astringent and mildly purgative qualities. In the UK, dock leaves are widely known as a remedy for the sting of nettles, a plant that can often found growing nearby in similar habitats. Called docken in Scotland, the stems were used for making baskets, bait pots and fish traps, brushes, mattresses, ropes, winnowing mats, grain tubs, saddle mats, and nets for carrying hay or peats. The roots of the larger docken species were used as a mordant by Scottish dyers.

For more detailed information see Rumex