Summary ²

Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is a species of plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is a herbaceous perennial growing from short, thick rhizomes. It produces large poisonous leaves that are somewhat triangular, with long fleshy edible stalks and small flowers grouped in large compound leafy greenish-white to rose-red inflorescences.

How to recognize it? ³

Thick, usually reddish, solid leafstalks. Large, crinkled, heart shaped, non-hairy leaves at base of plant. Tall flower stalk. Grow to 1.2m (4 ft).

Observations in Banff National Park ⁴

https://inaturalist.ca/observations?project_id=69401&taxon_id=51251&place_id=any&verifiable=any

Sources and Credits

1. (c) bioblitzbanff, all rights reserved
2. Adapted by bioblitzbanff from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheum_rhabarbarum
3. (c) bioblitzbanff, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
4. (c) metallyza, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNaturalist.ca taxon page
• African Plants - a photo guide
• Atlas of Living Australia
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• NBN Atlas
• New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
• OregonFlora.org
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

iNaturalist.ca Map