fiddle dock
Rumex pulcher
Polygonaceae
Comments: Fiddle dock gets its name from having leaves shaped like a fiddle (or violin). It is a common dock species found throughout New Zealand. It is probably not quite as common as broad-leaved dock within pastures. However, because it tends to be a bit smaller than many of the other dock species, it is better able to tolerate regular mowing and so is usually the main dock species found in turf. Under regular mowing, it grows very flat to the ground and has smaller leaves than in a pasture or waste area situation. Within turf, it never really gets an opportunity to set seed as the seed-head gets removed by the mower before it has developed very far (unless of course the turf is seldom mowed). Fiddle dock is a perennial weed with a tap-root, and grows as a rosette with its leaves radiating out from a central growing point located at ground-level.
Distinguishing Features: As mentioned above, the fiddle-shaped leaves of this species generally make it very distinctive. The picture on the right shows the leaf shape of fiddle dock compared with other common species from the same genus. Clustered dock leaves can sometimes have slight constrictions part way down their length, but usually never as pronounced as in fiddle dock.
Control: In turf, young fiddle dock plants may be susceptible to Axall (mecoprop + ioxynil + bromoxynil) or other herbicide mixtures such as MCPA + mecoprop + dicamba. But once the tap-root system is well established, usually the most effective way of removing fiddle dock from grass turf is to apply a triclopyr + picloram mixture (eg Victory Gold). In pastures, asulam (Asulox) or thifensulfuron (Harmony) are the two selective products most commonly used. In orchards, either use Asulox to spot-spray docks, or add fluroxypyr (eg Starane) to glyphosate to improve the control by the glyphosate.