Flora of New Zealand Series

rhubarb

Glabrous herb. Lvs mostly radical, arising from thick woody rhizomes. Petiole to c. 60 × 3 cm, flattened above and with raised margins, ± crimson, especially towards base; ochreae to c. 8 cm long, brown, scarious. Lamina to c. 50 × 40 cm (larger in cultivation); main veins 7, prominently raised below; margins ± undulate. Infl. to c. 1.5 m tall; main stem massive and hollow; lateral branches numerous. Bracts minute. Fls greenish white; pedicels filiform, jointed, commonly c. 5 mm long. Inner 3 perianth segments 2.5-3 mm long, elliptic to suborbicular; outer 3 segments smaller. Stigmas large, irregular in outline. Fr. to c. 1 cm long; wings broad, reddish.

S.: sporadic in Canterbury.

N.E. Asia 1983

Waste places, probably established from garden rubbish.

Rhubarb is abundantly cultivated throughout N.Z. in a wide range of conditions and the clumps are very persistent. Thus, wild plants almost certainly occur elsewhere in N.Z. Seedlings are not known to occur spontaneously. Although the petioles are very commonly eaten the lf blades are poisonous (Connor 1977).