169 



or Medicinal Rhubarb exported from China, by sea to CASE 

 foreign countries, is the produce of this species. M. 93. 

 officinale was first grown in this country in 1873 by the 

 late Daniel Hanbury, since which time it has been 

 cultivated at Bodicote near Banbury, and the roots have 

 found their way into commerce. 



12. Eheum palmatiim, L., var. tanguticum^ a large 

 Perennial herb of the Western Alpine region of Western 

 fcansuh, where it is also cultivated for the drug. This 

 ipecies was first found wild in 1872-73 by Col. Przewalski 

 n the Tangut district of Kansuh,the extreme north-western 

 province of China, whence it was long known that 

 the root was procured. This is probably one of the 

 sources of the product, formerly known in commerce as 

 Russian or Turkey Rhubarb. 



3. Rheum Rhaponticum^ L., a well-known species, 

 cultivated in our gardens for the acid leaf stalk, used for 

 culinary purposes, and generally called English Rhuba b, 

 is a native 'of Southern Siberia, and is known to have 

 been cultivated at Padua early in the 17th century, from 

 whence it was brought to England, the first plant being 

 raised about the year 1628. It is largely cultivated at 

 Bodicote for medicinal purposes. Fine samples of 

 Rhubarb of different qualities and from different countries 

 are exhibited, also, roots of other species of Rheum, 

 besides those mentioned above. 



During the year 1904, China exported to Europe and 

 America 9,648 cwts. of this drug, of the value of £14,044. 

 Observe on a lower shelf of the middle compartment 

 of this Case roots of Canaigrb or GONAGRA {Rujnex 

 hymenosepaluSf Torr.), a plant found abundantly in the 

 sandy soil of both sides of the Rio Grande, and northward 

 over a large portion of Western Texas and New Mexico. 

 The roots are much used as a tanning material and 

 contain a large proportion of tannin. 



In the next compartment note fruits and wood of the 

 Seaside Grape of Jamaica {Coccoloha uvifera, L.). 

 When ripe the fruits are edible, but very astringent. The 

 wood is used for fancy work and takes a fine polish. 



Podostemon Order {Podostemaceae), moss-like plants 

 : growing in fresh water, chiefly in tropical countries. 



