24 MEDICAL BOTANY. 
RHEUM EMODI., 
WALLICH. 
Ruevum AvustraLe.—Don. 
Sex. Syst.—Enneandria, Trigynia. 
Gen. Cuar.—Ut supra. 
Specir. Cuar.—Stems six to ten feet high, much branched and sulcated, very thick below, gradually attenuated 
upwards into the large panicles, and there rough with minute warts or excrescences ; the colour is yellow green, 
streaked with red brown. Leaves very large, but gradually smaller upwards, roundish cordate, entire, somewhat wavy, 
slightly rough upon the surface, and at the margin. Petioles thick, angled, and furrowed, rough, embracing the stem 
by means of the large, bifid, sheathing membranous stipules. Panicles, or rather compound racemes, terminal, very 
long, the branches erect, virgate, rough. Pedice/s solitary, or clustered, somewhat verticillate, short, spreading, in 
front deflexed. Flowers very small, of a deep blood red colour. Perianth of Six, spreading, ovate deep segments; 
three alternate ones smaller. Stamens nine, shorter than the perianth. Filaments subulate, monadelphous at the 
base. Germen short, triquetrous, often abortive. Styles three, spreading. Stigmas large, warty. Fruit pendant, 
dark blood-coloured, shining; an achenium which is cordate, triangular, the angles sharply winged, covered at the 
base with the persistent perianth, of which the three smaller segments are applied to the three winged angles. Seed 
ovate triquetrous. (Hooker, Botan. Mag.) , 
This plant, when first made known, was regarded as the true one, affording Russian rhubarb. - The same doubt 
rests over this, however, as the other species. It is a native of the vast range of the Thibetian and Himalaya moun- 
tains, and was first discovered by Dr. Wallich. By this botanist it was found at Emodus, a mountainous district of 
Gossam Than ; hence the specific name given to it. Mr. Robert Blenkworth met with it about Kamoun, and seeds 
were sent to Hurope by Dr. Wallich in 1828. It has been found to thrive well in England and in the United States. 
The root, when prepared, was found by Pereira not to resemble the rhubarb of the shops, but is, according to 
experiments of Dr. Twining and others, efficacious as a medicine. 
Prare LXX.—Represents the plant in flower, and the enlarged flower. 
RHEUM COMPACTUM. 
LINNAEUS. 
Sex. Sysr.—Enneandria, Trigynia. 
Gen. Cuar.—See Rheum Emodi. 
Srecir. Cuar.—This plant has thick branching roots, and an erect, branching, jointed, somewhat channeled 
stem, five or six feet in height. The Jeaves are heart-shaped, obtuse, very wavy, deep green, of a thick texture, sca 
brous at the margin, quite smooth on both sides, glossy and even on the upper side; the sinus nearly closed by the 
parenchyma. Petiole green, hardly tinged with red, except at the base ; semicylindrical, a little compressed at the 
sides, with the upper side broad, flat, bordered by elevated edges, and of equal breadth at each end. lowers are 10 
close panicles at the extremity of the branches, of a greenish white colour. Fruit triangular, winged and brown, 
when mature. : 
The plant is said to be a native of Tartary and China. It is supposed by Pallas to afford some form of officinal 
rhubarb, and was introduced into Europe probably at the time the other species were, but Guibourt states, the time 
when, he cannot tell. It is now cultivated in France and England, as well as other parts of Europe, and affords @ 
part of the rhubarb which is there termed indigenous, to us known as European Rhubarb. 
It has been a long time since public attention was first directed to the cultivation of rhubarb in Europe, and an 
effort made to naturalize the plants which afford this important medicine. In France, such attempts were in a mea 
sure prompted by necessity, from the restriction of her commerce ; dependent upon the resources within herself, the 
