68 NOTICES OF SOME RARE KINDS OF RHUBARB. 
of tint. Its odour is remarkably sweet, similar to what I 
have perceived when drying the roots of different species of 
Rheum cultivated in England. When chewed it is not 
gritty. Its taste is mucilaginous, bitterish, but not astrin- 
gent. The fracture of the smaller and sound pieces is simi- 
lar to that of English stick rhubarb ; the larger pieces are 
decayed, dark brown, rotten, and tasteless in the centre. 
4. Himalayan Rhubarb. 
In November, 1S40, when China rhubarb was very 
scarce and dear, nineteen chests of Himalayan rhubarb 
were imported from Calcutta into this country. The chests 
were of the usual Calcutta kind, made of the hard, heavy, 
brittle Bengal wood. The weight per chest was gross 1 cwt. 
2 qrs. 26 lbs. 
Soon after their importation eight chests were bought and 
shipped to the Italian markets at Ad. per lb. ; but finding 
there no buyers, the residue of the importation remained on 
hand until September last (though in the mean time the 
duty was reduced from Is. to 3d. per lb.) when a sale 
for shipment to New York was forced at Id. per lb., cover- 
ing only part of the rent and nothing more. 
Four Himalayan species of Rheum are mentioned by my 
friend Dr. Royle, in his Illustrations of the Botany of the 
Himalayan Mountains, namely Rheum Emodi, of Wal- 
lich ; R. Wehbianum, R. spic/forme, and R. Moorcroftia- 
num. Dr. Royle states, that the Himalayan rhubarb, which 
makes its way into the plains of India, through Khalsee, 
Almora, and Butan, is probably, from its usual dark colour 
and spongy texture, the produce of either or both R. Emodi 
and R . IVebbianum; the roots of R. spic, forme and R. Moor- 
croftianum being lighter coloured and more compact in 
structure. 
In my Elements of Materia Medica I have described 
two varieties of Himalayan rhubarb which I have received^ 
the one from Dr. Wallich, and probably the produce of jR. 
Emodi ; the other from Dr. Royle, who informed me that 
