Wildflowers of Ainsworth: Curled Dock

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Here we have Curled, or Curly, Dock in the full beauty of its blossoming.

I suppose it gets its name from the flamboyantly wavy leaf margins:



From Wikipedia:

It can be used as a wild leaf vegetable; the young leaves should be boiled in several changes of water to remove as much of the oxalic acid in the leaves as possible, or can be added directly to salads in moderate amounts.[footnote omitted] Once the plant matures it becomes too bitter to consume. Dock leaves are an excellent source of both vitamin A and protein, and are rich in iron and potassium. Curly Dock leaves are somewhat tart due to the presence of high levels of oxalic acid, and although quite palatable, this plant should only be consumed in moderation as it can irritate the urinary tract and increase the risk of developing kidney stones.