82 ORD. XL. Holeracezx. RHEUM UNDULATUM. 
thick fibres, which run deep into the soil and are of a bright golden yellow 
colour internally: the leaves, which appear early in the spring, are numerous, 
large, oblong, somewhat tapering, villous above, much waved at their edges, 
strongly veined beneath, and supported upon moderately thick footstalks, 
which are furrowed on their under side, and plane on the upper. The flower. 
stem is of a pale brownish colour, about four feet high, and dividing into 
several loose panicles of white flowers; these are succeeded by triangular 
seeds, which ripen early in the season: the other parts of the fructification 
resemble those of the Rheum palmatum. Figure (a) a flower, (b) the seed, 
@ the pistil. 
e Rheum undulatum and Rheum palmatum* have both been successfully 
grown on a large scale in this country. We presume the following account 
of the culture of so valuable a drug will not be uninteresting to our readers. 
‘The seeds are sown in March or April, or during the Autumn, in August or 
September; the former to be transplanted in Autumn, the latter in Spring. 
Instead of placing the seedling plants where they are to remain, as is usually 
recommended, beds should be prepared, resembling those which are made 
for asparagus, of fine mould, from twelve to eighteen inchesdeep. When the 
young plants are four or five inches high, and have thrown out as many 
leaves, transplant them upon those beds, at eight inches asunder; selecting 
first the largest, carefully drawing them out, so as neither to destroy, nor even 
scarcely to disturb the fibres. Watering the bed previously to the removal, 
will greatly facilitate the operation.” 
In the culture of rhubarb, the whole difficulty consists in bringing the 
plants through the first season ; if the weather be hot and sultry, they must 
be shaded, and at all events, aoutindsilly watered. For transplanting, a wet 
or cloudy day should be preferred; and if the weather should continue wet 
for two or three days successively, not more than four or five in a hundred 
will probably be lost. In a month the roots will have made fresh shoots, 
and new leaves will have succeeded the former, which commonly, notwith- 
standing all our care, will wither away. The plants may now remain till 
the ensuing Spring ; or if the Summer be favourable, and the land intended 
for the plantation be well trenched, three feet deep, the removal may be com- 
pleted without delay. It is a good way, to sow the ground with carrots; the 
* This species of Rheum will-be found figured in Vol. IV. of this work. 
