Polygonaceae

Common sheep sorrel

Rumex acetosella L.

Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Rumex

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Common sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella) — FlowerPhoto: Saryu Mae 前朝琉, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (51)

Afrikaans: Boksuring
Arabic: حماض الغنم, حماص صغير
Armenian: Թրթնջուկ ճնճղուկի
arz: حماض الغنم
Basque: Mingarratz txiki, Uztao txiki
Belarusian: Шчаўе вераб'інае, Шчавук, Шчаўлюк, Шчаўлюк палявы
Bulgarian: Козя брада, Тънколистен
Catalan: Agrelleta, Agrella graminera, Agret
Chinese: 小酸模
Croatian: Obična kiselica
csb: Pólnô szczawa
Czech: Šťovík menší
Danish: Rødknæ
Dutch: Schapenzuring
English: Common sheep sorrel, Sheep's sorrel, Field sorrel, Red (or sheep) sorrel, Red sorrel, Sheep sorrel, Common sheep sorre
Estonian: Väike oblikas, Ahtalehine oblikas
Finnish: Ahosuolaheinä
French: Petite oseille
frr: Sürstaaler
Georgian: Კოკომჟავა
German: Kleiner Sauerampfer, Kleiner Sauer-Ampfer, Kleiner Ampfer
hsb: Drobny zdźer
Hungarian: Juhsóska
Icelandic: Hundasúra
Irish: Samhadh caorach
Japanese: ヒメスイバ
Kazakh: Қымыздық дәрі
Korean: 애기수영
kw: Trenkan an dhavas
Latvian: Mazā skābene
Lithuanian: Smulkioji rūgštynė
Macedonian: Овчи киселец
Norwegian Bokmål: Småsyre
Norwegian Nynorsk: Småsyre
Persian: رامکس اکتسلا
Polish: Szczaw polny
Quechua: Puka qura, Kinturaya, Puka qhura, Qinturaya
Russian: Щавель воробьиный
se: Guolbbajuopmu
sgs: Gondra rūgštīnė
Slovak: Štiav obyčajný
Slovenian: Mala kislica
smn: Kuolbâsälttisyeini
sms: Ǩeʹddsäʹlttsueiʹnn
Spanish: Acedorilla, Vinagrerita, Vinagrita
Swedish: Bergsyra, Bergssyra, Rödsyra
Turkish: Kuzukulağı
Ukrainian: Щавель горобиний
vep: Sol'hein
Welsh: Suran yr ŷd
zza: Tırşık

Synonyms

Acetosa acetosella Mill.
Acetosa arvensis Friche-Joset & Montandon
Acetosa hastata Moench
Acetosa multifida (L.) Chaz.
Acetosa parva Gilib.
Acetosa repens Gray
Acetosa sterilis Mill.
Acetosella acetosella (L.) Small
Acetosella multifida (L.) Á.Löve
Acetosella multifida subsp. angiocarpa (Murb.) Kubát
Acetosella multifida subsp. australis (Willk.) Kubát
Acetosella multifida subsp. tenuifolia (Wallr.) Kubát
Acetosella multifida subsp. vulgaris (W.D.J.Koch) Kubát
Acetosella tenuifolia (Wallr.) Á.Löve
Acetosella vulgaris Fourr.
Acetosella vulgaris f. integrifolia (Wallr.) Dostál
Acetosella vulgaris f. multifida (L.) Dostál
Lapathum arvense Lam.
Rumex acetosella f. acetosella
Rumex acetosella subsp. acetosella
Rumex acetosella subsp. tenuifolius O.Schwarz
Rumex acetosella var. acetosella
Rumex acetosella var. multifidus (L.) DC.
Rumex acetosella var. tenuifolius Wallr.
Rumex acetosella var. vulgaris W.D.J.Koch
Rumex arvensis Dulac
Rumex fascilobus Klokov
Rumex multifidus L.
Rumex tenuifolius (Wallr.) Á.Löve

Flowers

In flower: April to July (from 1,439 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Alaska: introduced, Canada: introduced, Greenland: introduced, Greenland: native, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, St. Pierre and Miquelon: introduced

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Saryu Mae 前朝琉, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Shirley Zundell, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: E. Borchert, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Ira Gershenhorn, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Kieran Hanrahan, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: cstobie, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Tony Rebelo, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Rumex

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.