Rheum officinale

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Rheum officinale
Light:Full Sun Part Shade
Moisture:Mesic
Hardiness:7
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Height:7'
Width:5'
Blooms:Early Summer-Mid Summer
Open Woods Forest
Native to:
Edible Rating:PFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating:PFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal Rating
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Rheum officinale (common name: chinese 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].

A very ornamental plant[2], it is closely related to R. australe[1].

Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[1].

Cultivated as a medicinal plant in China[5].

Plants at the Cambridge Botanical Gardens in September 1993 were growing well in the shade of a woodland garden, though they were not succeeding when planted closely to the trees[K].

Plants in this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[4].

Range: E. Asia - Tibet.

Habitat: Hills and forest understories at elevations of 1200 - 4000 metres in western China[6].

Edibility: Leaf stem - cooked or raw[7][8]. Rather medicinal[9].

One report says that the plant contains 1.3% rutin[10]. 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[11][12].

The root is anticholesterolemic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antitumor, aperient, astringent, cholagogue, demulcent, diuretic, laxative, purgative, stomachic and tonic[13][14][15][16][11][12]. The roots contain anthraquinones, which have a purgative effect, and also tannins and bitters, which have an opposite astringent effect[17]. When taken in small doses, it acts as an astringent tonic to the digestive system, whilst larger doses act as a mild laxative[18][17]. 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[12]. This remedy is not prescribed for pregnant or lactating women, nor for patients with intestinal obstruction[12]. Externally, the root is used in the treatment of burns[12]. The roots are harvested in October from plants that are at least six years old, they are then dried for later use[13].

A homeopathic remedy is prepared from the dried root[18]. This is used especially in the treatment of diarrhoea in teething children[18].

Usage: Plants can be grown for ground cover when spaced about 1.8 metres apart each way[19].

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

Links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
  3. ↑ Sanders, Thomas. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge, 1926.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
  5. ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
  6. ↑ Flora of China. 1994.
  7. ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
  8. ↑ Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
  9. ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
  10. ↑ Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
  14. ↑ Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press.
  15. ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
  16. ↑ Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Phillips, Roger. Herbs. Pan Books, 1990.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Castro, Miranda. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook. Macmillan, 1990.
  19. ↑ Thomas, Graham. Plants for Ground Cover. Everyman, 1990.


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