[291 I 
I was fo much afraid the feverltyof the cold would 
deftroy the flowers, that I caufed the drawings of the 
plant to be taken when it was four feet high ; but in 
lefs than fourteen days it grew to eight, and at that- 
time was moft beautiful, with numerous and lofty 
panicles of flefh-coloured flowers, and large elegant 
leaves at its bafe.; It is proper to. take notice, that 
the foliage at the bafe of ^ the plant delineated in 
Plate XII. did not all belong to one plant, but to 
two or three, which accidentally grew~fo clofe to- 
gether, that it was impolTible to make a drawing of 
the flowering plant fingly, without deftroying the 
reft, which feemed unnecelTary, and I could, by no 
means confent to ; further, the figure of the root in 
Plate XIII. was not taken from the root of the flow- 
ering plant, but from anothe!r fprung from the fame 
feeds. On cutting this root acrofs, I found it very 
fucculent, the juice a little mucilaginous and of a 
fweetifh tafte. Although the root was taken up a t 
great deal too young, and at an improper feafoa 
(viz. in July) yet it had moft perfedfly the fmell of 
the true rhubarb ; and when chewed, though it was . 
at firft foft and mucilaginous, it foon difcovered ex- 
adly the tafte of the beft foreign rhubarb. I have 
made trials of the powder of the root in the fame 
dofes, in which the foreign rhubarb is given, and i 
found no difference in its effe(ftsi its operation being 
equally eafy and powerful. 
From the perfedt fimilarity of this root with the . 
beft foreign rhubarb in tafte, fmell, colour, .and pur- 
gative qualities, we cannot doubt of our being at laft ' 
poffeAed of the plant, which produces the true rhu- 
P p 2 barb, 
