RHEUM. 



Stems 6 to 10 feet high, much branched and sulcated, very thick 

 below, gradually attenuated upwards into large panicles, and there 

 rough with minute warts or excrescences : the colour yellow-green, 

 streaked with red-brown. Leaves very large, but gradually smaller up- 

 wards, roundish-cordate, entire, somewhat wavy, slightly rough upon 

 the surface and 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. Pedicels solitary or clustered, 

 somewhat verticillate, short, spreading in fruit, deflexed. Flowers very 

 small, of a deep blood-red colour. Calyx of 6 spreading, ovate, deep seg- 

 ments, 3 alternate ones smaller. Stamens 9, shorter than the perianth. 

 Filaments subulate, monadelphous at the base. Ovary short, trique- 

 trous, often abortive. Styles 3, spreading. Stigmas large, warty. 

 Fruit pendent, dark blood-coloured, shining, cordate, triangular, the 

 angles sharply winged, covered at the base with the persistent perianth, 

 of which the 3 smaller segments are applied to the 3 winged angles. 

 Seed ovato-triquetrous. Hooker. To the foregoing description by 

 Sir W. Hooker, I add, for the sake of a better contrast with other 

 species, the following more exact character of the leaves and pe- 

 tioles : Leaves cordate, acute, dull green, but little wavy, flattish, 

 very much wrinkled, distinctly rough, with coarse short hairs on 

 each side ; sinus of the base distinctly open, not wedge-shaped but di- 

 verging at an obtuse angle, with the lobes nearly turned upwards. 

 Petioles very rough, rounded-angular, furrowed ; with the upper side 

 depressed, bordered by an elevated edge, and very much narrower at 

 the upper than the lower end. It was stated by Professor Don (Edinb. 

 Phil. Journal), when this plant was first made known, that it was the 

 undoubted origin of the Russian and Turkey rhubarbs. But Mr. Pereira, 

 who had samples of the root from Dr.Wallich, found that the specimens 

 had hardly any resemblance to the rhubarb of the shops. The roots 

 of this and R. Webbianum nevertheless appear to be valuable as medi- 

 cines ; for Mr. Twining reported that, after an experience of 43 cases 

 in the general hospital at Calcutta, he found them, as tonic and astrin- 

 gent, superior to corresponding quantities of the best rhubarb, but not 

 on the whole so eligible in obstinate costiveness on account of their aroma 

 and astringency. They are less disagreeable to take than the best Tur- 

 key rhubarb, nearly as efficacious as a purge, and very superior in small 

 doses as a tonic and astringent inprofluvia. Royle's Illustr., p. 316. 



733. R. Webbianum Royle illustr. 318. R. Emodi Meisner 

 in Wall. pi. as. rar. iii. 65. not of Wall. Gossain Than ; Niti. 



Root leaves large, long- stalked, cordate, acute; cauline obtuse; 

 rather downy above, veiny beneath and margin hairy ; petioles rounded. 

 Upper branches and peduncles round, smooth, slightly striated. Axil- 

 lary racemes clustered, terminal, panicled ; pedicels in threes, twice as 

 short as the ripe fruit. Sepals entire, broadly oval, obtuse. Achenium 

 somewhat cordate at the base, entire or a little emarginate at the point. 

 Royle. See the last species. This is possibly what Mr. Moorcroft 

 found at Niti, at the height of 12,000 feet above the sea. 



734. R. spiciforme Eoyk illustr. 318. t. 78. Northern face 

 of the Himalayas, at the Kherang pass, and several places be- 

 yond. 



355 A A 2 



