Rheum australe
| Rheum australe | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 10' |
| Width: | 5' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Rheum australe (common name: himalayan rhubarb)
Propagation: Seed - best sown in autumn in a shaded cold frame[1]. The seed can also be sown in spring in a cold frame. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter, planting them out in the spring.
Division in early spring or autumn[2][3]. Divide up the rootstock with a sharp spade or knife, making sure that there is at least one growth bud on each division. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Cultivation: Prefers a deep, fertile, moderately heavy, humus rich, moisture retentive, well-drained soil in sun or semi-shade[1]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Plants can be grown in quite coarse grass, which can be cut annually in the autumn[4].
Hardy to about -20°c[1].
Plants in this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[4].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[1].
The root is sold for medicinal purposes in local markets in the Himalayas[5][6]. Overgathering of this plant from the wild, both for food and for medicine, is becoming a cause of conservation concern[7].
Range: E. Asia - Himalayas.
Habitat: Open slopes on rocky ground at elvations of 3200 - 4200 metres[8][7]. Grassy slopes at elevations of 3400 - 4300 metres in Tibet[9].
Edibility: Leaf stem - raw or cooked[10][11][12]. An excellent flavour that is something like apples[13][12] (this is likely to be a cooking apple!). The crop is sometimes blanched by excluding light from the growing stems, this produces an almost white stem that is free of fibre, crisp and less acid[13]. This species makes an excellent late crop[13]. The stems can also be made into a preserve or be dried and stored for later use[12].
One report says that the plant contains 0.32% rutin[14]. It does not specify which part of the plant, though it is likely to be the leaves[K].
Medicinal: Rhubarb has a long and proven history of herbal usage, its main effect being a positive and balancing effect upon the whole digestive system. It is one of the most widely used herbs in Chinese medicine[15]. The main species used is R. palmatum. Though the chemistry varies slightly, this species is used interchangeably[15]. The root is anticholesterolemic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antitumor, aperient, astringent, cholagogue, demulcent, diuretic, laxative, purgative, stomachic and tonic[16][17][18][6][19][15][14]. Small doses act as an astringent tonic to the digestive system, whilst larger doses act as a mild laxative[20]. The root is taken internally in the treatment of chronic constipation, diarrhoea, liver and gall bladder complaints, haemorrhoids, menstrual problems and skin eruptions due to an accumulation of toxins[15]. This remedy is not prescribed for pregnant or lactating women, nor for patients with intestinal obstruction[15]. Externally, the root is used in the treatment of burns[15]. The roots are harvested in October from plants that are at least six years old, they are then dried for later use[16].
A homeopathic remedy is prepared from the dried root[20]. This is used especially in the treatment of diarrhoea in teething children[20].
Usage: The leaves can be up to 1 metre in diameter, they are used as a lining material and also to cover and protect fruit in baskets[13][17].
A bright yellow dye is obtained from the root[7].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in medium and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the leaves of some if not all members of this genus contain significant quantities of oxalic acid and should not be eaten in any quantity. Oxalic acid can lock up certain minerals in the body, e
Also Known As: R. emodi. Wall.
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Sanders, Thomas. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge, 1926.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg and Adam Stainton. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press, 1984.
- ↑ Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Douglas, James. Alternative Foods.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Thompson, Robert. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son, 1878.
- ↑ Schery. Robert. Plants for Man. Prentice Hall, 1972.
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Castro, Miranda. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook. Macmillan, 1990.