POLYGON A CE^E. 



543 



Churchill, t. 177; Lindley, Flor. Med. 357; Pereira, Mat. Med. ii. 272; 

 Royle, Mat. Med. 507 ; R. rkabarbarum, Linn. Syst. Veg. 385. 



. This species grows in Asiatic Russia, and probably in Chinese Tartary. 

 In 1732 it was sent to Jussieu at Paris, and to the Apothecaries' Garden at 

 Chelsea, as the true Rhubarb ; and in 1750, Kauw Boerhaave, physician to 

 the Emperor of Russia, obtained seeds from a Tartarian merchant, of what 

 was stated to be the plant producing the Rhubarb of commerce, which on 

 growing, proved to be of both the R. undulatum and palmatum. It was 

 for some time cultivated by the Russian government, but the product proved 

 so inferior, that the culture has been discontinued, and Guibourt says that he 

 never could obtain good Rhubarb from it. It is, however, raised in France, 

 and its roots constitute a part of French Rhubarb ; and Stephenson and 

 Churchill state that what is sold under the name of English Rhubarb is the 

 root of this plant, but Lindley doubts the accu- 

 racy of their information, and says the species is Fig. 233. 

 but little known in England. 



10. R. compactum, Linn. — Leaves cordate, obtuse, 

 much undulated, of a deep-green colour, and thick tex- 

 ture, scabrous on the margin, quite smooth on both sides, 

 shining on the upper surface ; sinus nearly closed. Pe- 

 tioles green, scarcely tinged with red except at base, 

 semi-cylindrical, somewhat compressed at the sides; 

 upper side broad, flat, with elevated edges, and of the 

 same size at either end. 



Linn, Sp. PL 531; Willdenow, . Sp. PI. ii. 

 489; Lindley, Flor, Med. 358; Nees, 121. 



A native of Chinese Tartary. It is cultivated 

 in France, and affords part of the French Rhu- 

 barb. Guibourt says this is a pretty good imita- 

 tion of the Chinese, but when cleared of the 

 yellow powder, its different colour and close 



radiated marbling distinguish it ; it does not crackle under the teeth, nor tinge 

 the saliva of as deep a yellow. This is one of the species principally grown 

 on account of their stalks. 



R. compactum. 



Fig. 234. 



11. R. palmatum, Linn. — 

 Leaves roundish-cordate, semi- 

 palmate ; the lobes pinnatifid, 

 acuminate, of a dull-green colour, 

 not undulate, but uneven and 

 wrinkled on the upper side, 

 scarcely scabrous at the edge, 

 minutely downy on the under 

 side ; sinus completely closed, the 

 leaf-lobes standing forwards be- 

 yond it. Petiole pale-green, 

 marked with short purple lines, 

 terete, obscurely channelled at 

 the upper end. 



Linn., Sp. PL 531 ; Aiton, 

 Hort. Kew. ii. 41 ; Stephen- 

 son and Churchill, 25 ; Lind- 

 ley, Flor. Med. 358. 



Grows in Chinese Tar- 

 tary, Mongolia, &c. As before mentioned, the seeds of this were obtained 



R. palmatum. 



