▁Rum ex ▁pul cher ▁is ▁a ▁species ▁of ▁flow ering ▁plant ▁in ▁the ▁kn ot we ed ▁family ▁known ▁by ▁the ▁common ▁name ▁fiddle ▁dock . ▁It ▁is ▁native ▁to ▁E uras ia ▁and ▁North ▁Africa ▁and ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁elsewhere , ▁including ▁parts ▁of ▁North ▁America , ▁as ▁an ▁introduced ▁species ▁and ▁a ▁road side ▁we ed . ▁Europe . ▁It ▁is ▁quite ▁variable ▁in ▁appearance , ▁and ▁some ▁authorities ▁divide ▁it ▁into ▁several ▁sub species ▁that ▁are ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁distinguish able . ▁In ▁general , ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁per enn ial ▁her b ▁producing ▁a ▁sl ender , ▁ere ct ▁stem ▁from ▁a ▁thick ▁tap root , ▁approaching ▁ 7 0 ▁cent im eters ▁in ▁maximum ▁height . ▁The ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁plant ▁may ▁b end , ▁especially ▁as ▁the ▁fruit ▁develop s . ▁ ▁The ▁leaves ▁are ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 0 ▁or ▁ 1 5 ▁cent im eters ▁long ▁and ▁variable ▁in ▁shape , ▁though ▁often ▁ob long ▁with ▁a ▁narrow ▁middle ▁in ▁the ▁rough ▁shape ▁of ▁a ▁fiddle . ▁The ▁infl ores c ence ▁is ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁many ▁branches , ▁each ▁an ▁interrupted ▁series ▁of ▁clusters ▁of ▁flowers ▁with ▁up ▁to ▁ 2 0 ▁in ▁each ▁cluster , ▁each ▁flower ▁h anging ▁from ▁a ▁p edic el . ▁The ▁flower ▁has ▁usually ▁six ▁te p als , ▁the ▁inner ▁three ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁ed ged ▁with ▁teeth ▁and ▁have ▁t uber cles ▁at ▁their ▁cent ers . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁Je pson ▁Man