AI overview
Rheum is a genus of plants that includes species commonly used to produce rhubarb, a tart vegetable-like plant whose stalks are eaten in cooking and baking. The genus matters because rhubarb is an economically important crop in many regions and has been used in traditional medicine for centuries.
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Species
GENUS
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderCaryophyllales
- FamilyPolygonaceae
Native toAfghanistan, Altay, Amur, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Chita, East European Russia, East Himalaya, Inner Mongolia
General: Rheum (from Gr. ρεύµα, reuma, stream, possibly because
via GBIF · Kew POWO
Research
47,847 papersArticle
Rheum is a genus of about 60 herbaceous perennial plants in the family Polygonaceae. Species are native to eastern Europe, southern and eastern temperate Asia, with a few reaching into northern tropical Asia. Rheum species are cultivated in Europe, Asia, and North America. The genus includes the vegetable rhubarb. The species have large somewhat triangular shaped leaves with long, fleshy petioles. The flowers are small, greenish-white to rose-red, and grouped in large compound leafy inflorescences. Many rhubarb cultivars have been domesticated as medicinal plants and for human consumption. While the leaves are slightly toxic, the stalks are used in pies and other foods for their tart flavour.
Description