R H E 
upon making trial of the roots, they were found to 
be greatly inferior to thofe of the true Rhubarb, and 
upon farther trials and examinantion, it was found 
to be the Rhapontick of Profper Aipinus, commonly 
called Pontick Rhubarb. This hath a large thick 
root, which divides into many ftrong flefhy fangs, 
running deep in the ground •, the outfide is of a 
reddifli brown colour, and the infide yellow, from 
which arife feveral leaves, in number according to the 
fze of the root ; thefe come up folded in the fpring, 
and afterward expand themfelves ; they are fmooth, 
of a roundifh heart-fhape, having very thick foot- 
ftalks of a reddifli colour, which are a little channelled 
on their lower part, but flat at the top. When the 
plant grows in rich land, the foot-ftalks of the leaves 
are near two feet long, and thicker than a man’s 
thumb ; the leaves alfo are often two feet long, and 
as much in breadth, having feveral ftrong longitudinal 
veins running from the foot-ftalk to the borders, of 
a deep green, and are waved on their edges, having 
an acid tafte, but particularly the foot-ftalks, which 
are now frequently ufed for making tarts. From 
between the leaves arife the flower-ftem, which is of 
a purple colour, garnifhed with one leaf at each 
joint, of the fame fliape with thofe below, but fmaller, 
and fit dole to the ftalk. The ftalks grow from two 
to three feet high, according to the ftrength of the 
ground, and are terminated by thick, clofe, obtufe 
fpikes of white flowers, which appear the beginning 
of June, and are fucceeded by large, triangular, 
brown feeds, having a border or wing at each angle, 
which ripen in Auguft. 
The feeds of the fecond fort were fent me from Ley- 
den by the late Dr. Boerhaave, by the title of Rhabar- 
barum Chinenfe verum, or true China Rhubarb, 
which fucceeded in the Chelfea Garden. The root 
of this fort divides into a number of thick fibres, 
which run deeper into the ground than thofe of the 
firft, and are of a deeper yellow within. The leaves 
appear much earlier in the fpring •, the foot-ftalks are 
not fo much channelled on their under fide, and are 
plain on their upper, not fo red nor fo thick as thofe. 
The leaves are longer, running more to a point, and 
are much waved on their edges, a little hairy on their 
upper fide, and have many ftrong veins or ribs on 
their under. The flower-ftem is of a pale brownifh 
colour, rifing about four feet high, dividing into 
feveral loofe panicles or bunches of white flowers, 
which appear in May, and are fucceeded by tringu- 
lap feeds like thofe of the firft fort, which ripen earlier 
in the feafon. 
The feeds of the third fort were fent me from Pe- 
terfburgh, for the true Tartarian Rhubarb. The 
roots of this fort are large, and divide into many 
fangs *, they are yellow within ; the leaves appear early 
in the fpring ; the foot-ftalks of thefe are of a pale 
green, and almoft as large as thofe of the firft fort •, 
they have fcarce any channels, and flat on their upper 
fide ; the leaves are fmooth, heart-fbaped, and do not 
run out to fo great length in a point as thofe of the 
fecond, but are longer than thofe of the firft ; they 
are very broad toward their bafe, and have very large 
"pale green ribs on their under fide, a little waved on 
their edges, having a fharp acid flavour. The flower- 
ftalk is of a pale green ; it rifes five or fix feet high, 
and are as large as a common walking cane, garnifh- 
ed at each joint by one leaf of the fame fhape with 
thofe below, but fmaller, fitting clofe to the ftalk ; 
the upper part of the ftalk divides into fmall branches, 
each fuftaining a panicle or fpike of white flowers 
Handing ere<ft, which appear the latter end of May, 
and are fucceeded by large triangular bordered feeds, 
like thofe of the firft fort. 
The roots of this laft approach nearer to thofe of the 
foreign Rhubarb than either of the other, both in 
fhape and quality ; and as thefe feeds which were fent 
to Peterfburgh, were gathered from the plants grow- 
ing on the fpot where the Rhubarb is taken up, fo 
there is little reafon to doubt of its being the true 
fort, though the roots which have grown in Eng- 
R H E 
land have not been equal in quality with thofe of the 
foreign but this may have been occafioned for want 
of age, or by being taken out of the ground at an 
improper feafon, therefore farther trials may im- 
prove it j and as the plants produce great plenty of 
feeds here, fothey may be propagated with great cafe. 
Dr. Linnteus feemed firft to think the fecond fort was 
the true Rhubarb, but the roots of that which have 
grown here are very little better than thole of the Rha- 
pontick, and I have reafon to doubt if it is not a va- 
riety of it •, for it is certain, thefe plants when grow- 
ing near each other, are impregnated by each other’s 
farina ; for from the feeds of the Rhapontick, which 
grew clofe to the fecond fort, I had a mixture of 
plants of both forts produced, though the plant of 
the fecond fort did not produce any feeds, for the 
ftalk decayed foon after the flowers faded •, and the 
feeds of the Rhapontick were gathered by myfelf 
from one plant, and were fown in his Grace the Duke 
of Bedford’s garden at Wooburn Abbey, where there 
had not been any of thefe plants before growing, 
fo that there could be no mixture of feeds, and yet 
a third part of the plants proved to be of the fe- 
cond fort. 
It has been learnedly controverted by the botanifts, 
whether the Rhapontick of the antients, and the Rhu- 
barb of the moderns, is one and the fame plant, 
fome affirming, and others denying that there is any 
agreement •, the reafonings on both Tides may be 
feen in the Appendix to the fecond volume of John 
Bauhin’s Hiftory of Plants. 
The feeds of the fourth fort have been lately brought 
to England, from which many plants have been 
raifed ; thefe greatly differ in the form of their 
leaves from all the other fpecies, for they are deeply 
cut into many acute fegments, which fpread open in 
form of a hand ; and I am informed by a fkilful 
botanift, who has feen this fort in flower, that it fhould 
be placed in the genus of Rumex, for there are but 
fix ftamina in each flower ; but as the plant in the 
Chelfea Garden has not as yet flowered, nor have I 
feen any plants in that ftate, fo I cannot take upon 
me to determine this. 
However, I find the celebrated Linnaeus now fup- 
pofes this to be the true Rhubarb, which farther ex- 
periments muft fettle. 
The fifth fort grows naturally on Mount Libanus, 
and other mountainous parts of Syria. This hath a 
thick flefhy root, which runs pretty deep in the 
ground, from which arife feveral leaves in the fpring, 
which come up folded together, and afterward ex- 
pand •, they have very fhort foot-ftalks, fo fpread near 
the ground •, but during the fpring, their borders are 
eredr, and form a fort of hood having feveral folds, 
and are curled and waved on their edges ; they are of 
a purplifh green, and have purple veins and borders ; 
theirfurface appears ftudded with rough protuberances, 
and when the leaves are fully expanded in fummer, 
they are a foot long, and above two feet broad j their 
under fide is paler than the upper, and their borders 
appear fringed. I have not feen this plant in flower, 
but the feeds of it were brought from Mount Liba- 
nus, by the Right Rev. Dr. Pocock, the late Biftiop 
of Offory ; thefe were larger than thofe of the other 
fpecies, and covered with a fucculent pulp, of a deep 
red colour, and very aftringent tafte ; this fucculent 
covering may have occafioned its being taken for a 
berry, by many of the old writers ; the fliape of the 
feed is like that of the other fpecies. 
Thefe plants are all propagated by feeds, which fliould 
be fown in autumn foon after they are ripe, and then 
the plants will come up the following fpring ^ but if 
they are kept out of the ground till fpring, the plants 
feldom come up till the next fpring, fo that a whole 
year will be loft. The feeds fliould be fown where 
the plants are defigned to remain •. for as their roots 
are large and flefhy, fo when they are tranfplanted, 
they do not recover their removal foon ; nor will the 
roots of thofe plants which are tranfplanted, ever 
grow fo large and fair, as thofe which remain where 
