Rheum webbianum

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Rheum webbianum
Polygonaceae - Rheum webbianum.jpg
Rheum webbianum at the Paradisia Alpine Botanical Garden
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Rheum
Species:
R. webbianum
Binomial name
Rheum webbianum
Synonyms

Rheum webbianum is a species of herbaceous perennial rhubarb-relative in the family Polygonaceae [2] from the southwestern Himalayan region, [1] [3] [4] known in (Indian) English as Indian rhubarb, Gilgiti rhubarb or small Himalayan rhubarb. [5]

Contents

Taxonomy

The species epithet honours Philip Barker Webb, a botanist from the 19th century. [5]

The type is kept at the herbarium of the Liverpool Museum. [1]

In the 1998 Flora Republicae popularis Sinicae A. R. Li classifies R. webbianum in section Rheum together with R. compactum, R. likiangense and R. wittrockii. [6]

Description

HabitusRheum webbianum is a perennial herbaceous plant [5] which grows from 0.3–2 metres (1 ft 0 in – 6 ft 7 in) in height. [1] [3] It has a stout, hollow stem bearing the inflorescence, this is finely sulcate (with many fine fissures in profile) and glabrous (hairless) or covered in papilla (papilliferous) on the surface of its upper part. [3]

This plant is very variable, especially in the leaf size and plant height. [1]

Leaf of Rheum webbianum in the Giardino Botanico Alpino Viote. Rheum webbianum -Viote 02.jpg
Leaf of Rheum webbianum in the Giardino Botanico Alpino Viote.

Leaves It has a stout, 30–45 centimetres (12–18 in) long petiole on its basal leaves [1] which is shorter than blade and papilliferous. [3] Leaves are leathery, [1] [3] and green on the upper side and muricate on the lower, [3] or papillose or glabrous. [1] The shape of the leaf blade is entire, [1] orbicular, [1] cordate (heart-shaped), [3] reniform-cordate [3] to reniform (kidney-shaped) [1] in shape, 10–60 centimetres (3.9–23.6 in) long [5] (more usually 20–25 centimetres (7.9–9.8 in)), [3] from 10–50 centimetres (3.9–19.7 in) (more usually 25–30 centimetres (9.8–11.8 in)) wide, [1] [3] and with the blade shorter than wide. [3] The leaf blade has five [1] [3] to 7, [1] nearly basal, main veins. The apex (tip) of the leaf blade is obtuse (rounded) [1] [3] [5] or subacute (slightly pointed), [1] [5] the margin is slightly sinuolate (wavy), [3] and the base is broadly cordate. [3] The upper leaves on the inflorescence stem are smaller and are ovate in shape. [1] [3]

Flowers The inflorescence is a large, diffusely [1] branched (once or twice), densely-flowered panicle [3] [5] up to 1m tall, with the flower clusters usually axillary, less commonly terminal (at the end of the racemes). [1] The small flowers have no bracts, are pale yellowish in colour, have a diameter of 2–2.5 millimetres (0.079–0.098 in), [1] [5] have a filiform (wiry), 3-5mm long pedicel [1] which is jointed below middle, and have elliptic-shaped tepals. [3]

Fruit The winged fruit is notched (slightly retuse) on both ends; [1] [3] [5] the wings are broad, approximately 3.5mm wide, and with longitudinal veins near their margins. [3] The fruit is broadly oblong/ellipsoid or orbicular in shape, 8-12mm across, approximately as long as wide. [1] [3] The seeds are narrowly ovoid-ellipsoid in shape, approximately 4mm wide. [3]

KaryotypyR. webbianum populations apparently are found in both diploid and tetraploid forms, having a chromosome count of 2n=22 [6] or 2n=44. [3] [6] It is suspected that this infraspecific karyotypic diversity indicates the existence of one or more cryptic species, despite the different forms being phenotypically identical, because the polyploid forms would essentially be reproductively isolated. [6]

Similar species

According to the 2003 key in the Flora of China , this species is distinguished from other entire-leaved rhubarbs in China with leaves having a wavy or crisped margin; R. wittrockii, R. rhabarbarum, R. australe and R. hotaoense, by having less than 1 cm-sized fruit, yellow-white flowers, and a wider than long leaf blade with a reniform-cordate to cordate shape. In many characters, it is most similar to R. rhabarbarum and R. hotaoense. [7]

Distribution

This species is present in Pakistan (Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa), [1] [3] [5] [8] India (Kashmir, Uttarakhand), [1] [3] [4] [5] western Nepal [1] [3] [4] [5] and southwest Tibet. [3] [4] [9]

Rheum webbianum habitus Rheum webbianum -Viote 01.jpg
Rheum webbianum habitus

It is very common in the Himalayas. [5]

Ecology

Habitat

In Pakistan it grows on slopes at an elevation of 2,000–4,500 metres (6,600–14,800 ft) above sea level. [1] In Tibet it is known from slopes at 3500-3600m elevation. [3] In Nepal it grows at altitudes of 2400-4200m. [4] In India it is known from elevations of 2400-4300m. [5]

Life cycle

It flowers extending from June through September in Pakistan. [1] It flowers June to July in India. [5] It fruits August to September in Tibet. [3]

Local names

In Pakistan it is known as chotal in the Gilgit region, [1] and ishpar in the Chitral valley. [8] An Urdu name is ravand chini. In Hindi it is called the following names: hind-revand-chini (Indian rhubarb), archa or atis. In Marathi it is known as ladakirevanda-chini. [5] It is called padam chalnu in Nepal. [4] In Chinese it is known as 须弥大黄, xu mi da huang. [3]

Uses

Like Rheum australe , the roots of this species are harvested from the wild to make the drug Indian rhubarb; this was formerly an important drug in Western medicine, and is still used in Unani medicine. [10]

In Pakistan locals eat the leaf stalk cooked as in the West. The root is used as a purgative. [1] [8] In the Chitral valley the stems of the unripe inflorescence and leaf stalks are also eaten raw for the taste. Poor children collect the plant from the wild to sell in the market for money. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polygonaceae</span> Knotweed family of flowering plants

The Polygonaceae are a family of flowering plants known informally as the knotweed family or smartweed—buckwheat family in the United States. The name is based on the genus Polygonum, and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 in his book, Genera Plantarum. The name may refer to the many swollen nodes the stems of some species have, being derived from Greek [poly meaning 'many' and gony meaning 'knee' or 'joint']. Alternatively, it may have a different origin, meaning 'many seeds'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhubarb</span> Species of herbaceous perennial plant with fleshy, sour edible stalks

Rhubarb is the fleshy, edible stalks (petioles) of species and hybrids of Rheum in the family Polygonaceae, which are cooked and used for food. The plant is a herbaceous perennial that grows from short, thick rhizomes. Historically, different plants have been called "rhubarb" in English. The large, triangular leaves contain high levels of oxalic acid and anthrone glycosides, making them inedible. The small flowers are grouped in large compound leafy greenish-white to rose-red inflorescences.

<i>Commelina</i> Genus of flowering plants

Commelina is a genus of approximately 170 species commonly called dayflowers due to the short lives of their flowers. They are less often known as widow's tears. It is by far the largest genus of its family, Commelinaceae. The Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus of the 18th century named the genus after the two Dutch botanists Jan Commelijn and his nephew Caspar, each representing one of the showy petals of Commelina communis.

<i>Rheum palmatum</i> Species of flowering plant

Rheum palmatum is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae. It is commonly called Chinese rhubarb, ornamental rhubarb, Turkey rhubarb or East Indian rhubarb.

<i>Rheum nobile</i> Species of flowering plant

Rheum nobile, the Sikkim rhubarb or noble rhubarb or पदमचाल, is a giant herbaceous plant native to the Himalaya, from northeastern Afghanistan, east through northern Pakistan and India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and Tibet to Myanmar, occurring in the alpine zone at 4000–4800 m altitude.

<i>Rheum</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

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 is cultivated in Europe 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. A number of cultivars of rhubarb have been domesticated both 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 flavor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petiole (botany)</span> Stalk holding a leaf to its stem

In botany, the petiole is the stalk that attaches the leaf blade to the stem, and is able to twist the leaf to face the sun. This gives a characteristic foliage arrangement to the plant. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole in some species are called stipules. The terms petiolate and apetiolate are applied respectively to leaves with and without petioles.

<i>Parochetus</i> Genus of legumes

Parochetus communis, known in English as shamrock pea or blue oxalis, is a species of legume, and the only species in the genus Parochetus and in the subtribe Parochetinae. It is a low-growing plant with blue papilionaceous flowers and clover-like leaves. It is found in the mountains of Asia and tropical Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand.

<i>Thalictrum dioicum</i> Species of flowering plant

Thalictrum dioicum, the early meadow-rue or quicksilver-weed, is a species of herbaceous plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Plants are typically upright growing woodland natives from Colorado Rocky Mountain forests to central and eastern North America including parts of south eastern Canada. This species has dioecious plants, with male and female flowers on separate plants blooming in early to mid spring.

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Oxyria is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with three accepted species as of March 2019. It has a circumboreal distribution.

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Arisaema flavum is a species of flowering plant widespread across north-eastern Africa and southern Asia. It is native to Ethiopia, Somalia, the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Assam, Himalayas, Tibet, Yunnan, and Sichuan. The species epithet flavum is Latin for yellow and indicates its flower colour.

<i>Rheum rhabarbarum</i> Species of plant

Rheum rhabarbarum is a species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae, native to a region stretching from southern Siberia to north and central China. It has been harvested from the wild for centuries for its root, which was harvested for use as a popular medicine in Europe and Asia. It was later cultivated for its root in England and Russia. It is considered to be one of the species involved in the development of culinary rhubarb, for which the scientific name R. rhabarbarum is sometimes (erroneously) used.

<i>Rheum australe</i> Species of flowering plant

Rheum australe, synonym Rheum emodi, is a flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is commonly known as Himalayan rhubarb, Indian rhubarb and Red-veined pie plant. It is a medicinal herb used in the Indian Unani system of medicine, and formerly in the European system of medicine where it was traded as Indian rhubarb. The plant is found in the sub-alpine and alpine Himalayas at an altitude of 4000 m.

<i>Roscoea tumjensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea tumjensis is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the Himalayas, in Nepal. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. tumjensis, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Rheum maximowiczii</i> Species of flowering plant

Rheum maximowiczii is a large herbaceous perennial plant species in the genus Rheum (rhubarbs) from the mountains of Central Asia where it grows in Kazakhstan, eastern Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and northeastern Afghanistan.

<i>Rheum ribes</i> Species of plant

Rheum ribes, the Syrian rhubarb or currant-fruited rhubarb, or warty-leaved rhubarb, is an edible wild rhubarb species in the genus Rheum. It grows between 1000 and 4000 m on dunite rocks, among stones and slopes, and is now distributed in the temperate and subtropical regions of the world, chiefly in Western Asia to Afghanistan and Pakistan and also in ladakh(Kargil) region of India. The Syrian rhubarb is a partially commercial vegetable collected from wild patches in Eastern and Southern Anatolia, Northern Iraq and partly Northwestern Iran in early spring. Rheum ribes is considered as a valuable medicinal species in herbal medicine.

<i>Rumex alpinus</i> Species of herb

Rumex alpinus, common name monk's-rhubarb, Munk's rhubarb or Alpine dock, is a leafy perennial herb in the family Polygonaceae. It is native to upland areas of Europe and Western Asia.

Rheum lhasaense is a plant from eastern Tibet belonging to the genus Rheum in family Polygonaceae. It is a mid-sized rhubarb species with triangular leaves and spherical fruit.

<i>Arisarum simorrhinum</i> Species of flowering plant

Arisarum simorrhinum is species of flowering plant of the family Araceae. It is native to the western Mediterranean Basin.

<i>Hypericum elodeoides</i> Species of flowering plant of the St. Johns wort family

Hypericum elodeoides, commonly called the Himalayan St. John's Wort, is a species of flowering plant of the St. John's wort family (Hypericaceae).

References

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  2. Biolib
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