664 ORD. XL. Oleracec. RHEUM PALMATUM. 
fie obtained the fresh root, which succeeded very well at Upsal, 
and afterwards enabled the younger Linnzeus to describe this plant* 
ann. 1767. But two years antecedent to this, Dr. Hope’s account 
of the Rheum palmatum, as it grew in the botanic garden near 
Edinburgh, had been read before the Royal Society at London; 
and of the great estimation in which this plant was held by him, 
we have the following proof: “ From the perfect similarity of this 
root with the best foreign rhubarb in taste, smell, colour, and 
purgative qualities, we cannot doubt of our being at last possessed 
_of the plant which produces the true rhubarb, and may reasonably 
entertain the agreeable expectations of its proving a very im-~- 
portant acquisition to Britain.”* But from the relation we have 
given, it appears that the seeds of both R. undulatum, and R. 
palmatum, were transmitted to Petersborough, as those of the 
true Rhubarb: we are therefore to conclude, that the former 
species has an equal claim to this importance with the latter ;+ and 
from further enquiries made in Russia, there is the best authority 
for believing that the R. compactum also affords this véry useful 
drug.£ The seeds of the Rheum Palmatum were first introduced 
4 Vide Plant. rarior. hort. Upsal. fase. 1. 
© See Philosoph. Trans. for the year 1765. 
+ Bergius says, ‘‘ Rheum palmatum producit Rhabarbarum in officinis Sibéricum 
appellatum; certe e seminibus a Bucharis e montosis Tibeti in Russiam apportatis, 
& postea satis hocce Rheum palmatum enatum est.” (Vide Pallas Reise, &c. vol. 
3. "pe Tar) “ Rhabarbarum, vero Chinense ex alia specie Rhei de: ésumptum esse 
videtur.” (Vide Georgi Reise, &e. vol. } : Hie p 211.) 
* The roots of the Rheum Palmatum were considered to be the best rhubarb, 
“¢ donec viri celeberrimi, Pallas et Georgi, qui nuperrime in rem naturalem Russie 
itineribus suis inguisiverunt, scrupulos novos excitarent. Nam percontanti ill. 
Pallas Buchari, folia Rhei palmati sibi ignota declararunt, describentes contra ea 
folia veri Rhabarbari rotunda et in margine paucis modo iucisionibus notata; 
unde concludit iste Rheum compactum potius fuisse intellectum. Huc pértintat 
‘supra ex cl. Georgi itinerario dicta (V. p. 360) de Cosacco quodam, qui Rheum 
endulatum pro vera specie significavit. Uterque etiam arbitratur, Rheum undu- 
jatum in montibus australioribus apertioribus et siccioribus, quales Tibetici sunt, 
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