202 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO J 765, 



palmatum, which he assured him were the seeds of the true rhubarb. Dr. H. 

 sowed them immediately in the open ground in the botanic garden. In the be- 

 ginning of May, 1764, one of the plants from these seeds pushed up a flowering 

 stem, and about the middle of the month, the flowers began to open, and con- 

 tinued in great beauty till the 8th or Qth of June: during this period, the wind 

 was from the east, and extremely cold, and both the air and ground very dry. 

 These circumstances had a great effect on the flowers; for, at their first appear- 

 ance one cold day, many of them turned black, and Dr. H. imagined they would 

 have been totally destroyed; they recovered however, and opened very well, and 

 he had the pleasure of collecting near 30 seeds, some of which, he hoped would 

 prove fertile. 



Dr. H. was so much afraid the severity of the cold would destroy the flowers, 

 that he caused the drawings of the plant to be taken when it was 4 feet high ; 

 but in less than 14 days it grew to 8, and at that time was most beautiful, with 

 numerous and lofty panicles of flesh-coloured flowers, and large elegant leaves 

 at its base. It is proper to take notice, that the foliage at the base of the 

 plant did not all belong to one plant, but to 2 or 3, which accidentally grew so 

 close together, that it was impossible to make a drawing of the flowering plant 

 singly, without destroying the rest, which seemed unnecessary, and he could by 

 no means consent to: further, the figure of the root was not taken from the 

 root of the flowering plant, but from another sprung from the same seeds. On 

 cutting this root across, he found it very succulent, the juice a little mucilagi- 

 nous and of a sweetish taste. Though the root was taken up a great deal too 

 young, and at an improper season, viz, in July, yet it had most perfectly the 

 smell of the true rhubarb; and when chewed, though it was at first soft and 

 mucilaginous, it soon discovered exactly the taste of the best foreign rhubarb. 

 He had made trials of the powder of the root in the same doses in which the 

 foreign rhubarb is given, and found no difference in its effects; its operation 

 being equally easy and powerful. 



From the perfect similarity of this root with the best foreign rhubarb in taste, 

 smell, colour, and purgative qualities. Dr. H. had no doubt of our being at last 

 possessed of the plant which produces the true rhubarb, and reasonably enter- 

 tained the agreeable expectation of its proving a very important acquisition to 

 Britain.* 



[Then follows a botanical description, which it was judged unnecessary to re- 

 print, as well as the print of the figures, 10, 15, l6; this plant being now so 

 well known to gardeners and botanists.] 



* Dr. Hope's expectations were well founded, large quantities of the rheum palmatum having of 

 late years been cultivated in this country, the roots of which have been found to be equal in medi- 

 cinal virtue to the rhubarb imported from Russia, Turkey, or China. See Transactions of the So- 

 ciety for the Encouragement of Arts, &c. Vols. 7, 8, 10, 11, 12. 



