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{{dablink|For other uses see [[Rhubarb (disambiguation)]]}}
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Rhubarb
| image = Rheum rhabarbarum.2006-04-27.uellue.jpg
| image_width = 225px
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Caryophyllales]]
| familia = [[Polygonaceae]]
| genus = '''''Rheum'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =About 60, including:
<ul>
<li>''[[Noble rhubarb|R. nobile]]''
<li>''R. officinale''
<li>''[[Turkey rhubarb|R. palmatum]]''
<li>''R. rhabarbarum''
<li>''R. rhaponticum''
</ul>
}}
'''Rhubarb''' is a [[perennial plant]] that grows from thick short [[rhizome]]s, comprising the genus ''Rheum''. This genus is in the family Polygonaceae, along with dock, sorrel, knotweeds, knotgrasses and buckwheat. The large, somewhat triangular [[leaf]] blades are elevated on long, fleshy [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]]s. The [[flower]]s are small, greenish-white, and borne in large compound leafy [[inflorescence]]s.
Rhubarb is actually a vegetable, but is often used in food as a fruit. In the [[United States]] until the 1940s it was considered a vegetable. It was reclassified as a fruit when US customs officials, baffled by the foreign food, decided it should be classified according to the way it was eaten.<ref>BBC Magazine</ref>
==Cultivation and use==
[[Image:Rhubarb07.JPG|right|thumb|left|Rhubarb displayed for sale at a grocery in [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]]]]
The plant is indigenous to [[Asia]], and many suggest that it was often used by the [[Mongolians]]; particularly, the [[Tatars]] tribes of the Gobi. The plant has grown wild along the banks of the Volga for centuries; it may have been brought there by Eurasian tribes, such as the Scythians, Huns, Magyars or Mongols. Varieties of rhubarb have a long history as medicinal plants in [[traditional Chinese medicine]], but the use of rhubarb as food is a relatively recent innovation, first recorded in [[17th century]] [[England]], after affordable [[sugar]] became available to common people.
Rhubarb is now grown in many areas, primarily for its fleshy petioles, commonly known as ''rhubarb sticks or stalks''. In temperate climates rhubarb is one of the first food plants to be ready for harvest, usually in mid to late Spring (April/May in the Northern Hemisphere, October/November in the Southern). The [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]]s can be cooked in a variety of ways. Stewed, they yield a tart sauce that can be eaten with sugar and other stewed fruit or used as filling for [[pie]]s (see [[rhubarb pie]]), [[tart]]s, and [[crumble]]s. This common use led to the slang term for rhubarb, '''"pie plant"'''. In Germany, this slang term is also used; the common name being ''Rhabarber''<!--do not uncapitalize, nouns are capitalized in German--> in [[German language|German]]. Cooked with [[Strawberry|strawberries]] as a sweetener, rhubarb makes excellent jam. It can also be used to make [[country wine|wine]]. Recently, it has been used in sandwiches.
In former days, a common and affordable sweet for children in parts of the United Kingdom and Sweden was a tender stick of rhubarb, dipped in [[sugar]]. In the [[United Kingdom|UK]] the first rhubarb of the year is grown by candlelight in dark sheds dotted around the noted "[[Rhubarb Triangle]]" of [[Wakefield]], [[Leeds]] and [[Morley, West Yorkshire|Morley]]<ref name="wgur">{{cite web | author = Wakefield Metropolitan District Council | url = http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/CultureAndLeisure/HistoricWakefield/Highlights/Rhubarb/default.htm | title = Rhubarb | accessdate = 2006-03-12}}</ref>.
[[Image:Rhubarb Pie.jpg|thumb|right|A homemade rhubarb pie]]
In warm climates, rhubarb will grow all year round, but in colder climates the parts of the plant above the ground disappear completely during winter, and begin to grow again from the root in early spring. It can be ''forced'', that is, encouraged to grow early, by raising the local temperature. This is commonly done by placing an upturned bucket over the shoots as they come up.
Rhubarb is used as a strong [[laxative]] and for its [[astringent]] effect on the [[mucous membrane]]s of the mouth and the [[nasal cavity]].
==Species==
The plant is represented by about 60 extant species.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/96/3/489 | title=Molecular Phylogeny, Recent Radiation and Evolution of Gross Morphology of the Rhubarb genus Rheum (Polygonaceae) Inferred from Chloroplast DNA trnL-F Sequences | author=Ailan Wang, Meihua Yang and Jianquan Liu | year=2005 | work=Annals of Botany | accessdate=2006-06-18}}</ref> Among species found in the wild, those most commonly used in cooking are the [[Rheum rhabarbarum|Garden Rhubarb]] (''R. rhabarbarum'') and ''[[Rheum rhaponticum|R. rhaponticum]]'', which, though a true rhubarb, bears the common name False Rhubarb.<ref>{{cite web | title=Rheum rhaponticum L. Taxonomic Serial Number 21319 | url=http://itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=21319 | work=[[Integrated Taxonomic Information System]]}}</ref> The many varieties of cultivated rhubarb more usually grown for eating are recognised as Rheum x hybridum in the Royal Horticultural Societies list of recognised plant names. The drug rheum is prepared from the rhizomes and [[root]]s of another species, ''[[Rheum officinale|R. officinale]]'' or Medicinal Rhubarb. This species is also native to Asia, as is the [[Turkey Rhubarb]] (''R. palmatum''). Another species, the [[Sikkim Rhubarb]] (''R. nobile''), is limited to the [[Himalayas]].
''Rheum'' species have been recorded as [[larva]]l food plants for some [[Lepidoptera]] species including [[Brown-tail]], [[Buff Ermine]], [[Cabbage Moth]], [[Large Yellow Underwing]], [[Nutmeg (moth)|The Nutmeg]], [[Setaceous Hebrew Character]] and [[Turnip Moth]].
==Toxic effects==
[[Image:Rhubarb 01.jpg|thumb|Rhubarb]]
[[Image:Rhubarb flower.JPG|thumb|Rhubarb flower.]]
Rhubarb leaves contain [[poison]]ous substances. Rhubarb leaves contain [[oxalic acid]], a [[corrosive]] and [[nephrotoxic]] acid that is abundantly present in many plants. The {{LD50}} (median lethal dose) for pure oxalic acid is predicted to be about 375 [[milligram|mg]]/[[kilogram|kg]] [[body weight]],{{Fact|date=July 2007}} or about 25 [[gram|g]] for a 65 kg (~140 lb) human. While the oxalic acid content of rhubarb leaves can vary, a typical value is about 0.5%,<ref>GW Pucher, AJ Wakeman, HB Vickery. ''[http://www.jbc.org/cgi/content/citation/126/1/43 THE ORGANIC ACIDS OF RHUBARB (RHEUM HYBRIDUM). III. THE BEHAVIOR OF THE ORGANIC ACIDS DURING CULTURE OF EXCISED LEAVES.]'' Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1938</ref> so a rather unlikely five kilograms of the extremely sour leaves would have to be consumed to reach an {{LD50}} dose of oxalic acid. However, the leaves are believed to also contain an additional, unidentified toxin.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002876.htm | title=Rhubarb leaves poisoning | work=Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia}}</ref> In the petioles, the amount of oxalic acid is much lower, especially when harvested before mid-June (in the northern hemisphere), but it is still enough to cause slightly rough teeth.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
The roots and stems are rich in [[anthraquinone]]s, such as [[emodin]] and [[rhein]]. These substances are [[cathartic]] and [[laxative]], which explains the sporadic abuse of Rhubarb as a [[dieting|slimming]] agent. Anthraquinones are yellow or orange and may colour the [[urine]].{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
==Other uses of the word==
It is or was common for a crowd of [[Extra (actor)|extra]]s in [[acting]] to shout the word "rhubarb" repeatedly and out of step with each other, to cause the effect of general hubbub. As a result, the word "rhubarb" sometimes is used to mean "length of superfluous text in speaking or writing", or a general term to refer to irrelevant chatter by chorus or extra actors.
Possibly from this usage, possibly from a variant on "[[Reubens|rube]]", or perhaps some of both, the word also denotes a loud argument. The term has been most commonly used in [[baseball]].
In the 1989 film ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'', The Joker ([[Jack Nicholson]]) tells Bruce Wayne ([[Michael Keaton]]) to "never rub another man's rhubarb". The term was used as a threat to Bruce Wayne warning him to leave both men's love interest Vicki Vale ([[Kim Basinger]]) alone.
The phrase "out in the rhubarb patch" can be used to describe a place being in the far reaches of an area. Rhubarb is usually grown at the outer edges of the garden in the less desirable and unkept area.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
"Donkey Rhubarb" refers to [[Japanese knotweed]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cabi-bioscience.org/html/japanese_knotweed_alliance.htm | title=Japanese Knotweed Alliance}}</ref> and is used as a term when referring to the drug-oriented uses of cannabis.{{Fact|date=July 2007}} For example, the word takes the place of words such as "weed" or "pot" in some places in Canada.
Rhubarb, specifically in the form of the fictitious product "Be-Bop-A-Re-Bop Rhubarb Pie," is frequently mentioned in '[[A Prairie Home Companion]]'. In the 2006 film adaptation of the program, the pies are not mentioned, but rhubarb itself is, including an explanation of the source of the name.
==References==
<!--See [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]] for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->
<references/>
==External links==
{{commonscat|Rheum}}
{{Wikibookspar|Cookbook|Rhubarb Pie}}
* [http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/ The Rhubarb Compendium]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mostof_forcedrhubarb.shtml History of "Forced Rhubarb"]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6474741.stm Just what is "Yorkshire forced indoor rhubarb"?]
[[Category:Polygonaceae]]
[[Category:Stem vegetables]]
[[Category:Vermont cuisine]]
[[Category:Economy of Yorkshire]]
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Rhubarb
| image = Rheum rhabarbarum.2006-04-27.uellue.jpg
| image_width = 225px
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Caryophyllales]]
| familia = [[Polygonaceae]]
| genus = '''''Rheum'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =About 60, including:
<ul>
<li>''[[Noble rhubarb|R. nobile]]''
<li>''R. officinale''
<li>''[[Turkey rhubarb|R. palmatum]]''
<li>''R. rhabarbarum''
<li>''R. rhaponticum''
</ul>
}}
'''Rhubarb''' is a [[perennial plant]] that grows from thick short [[rhizome]]s, comprising the genus ''Rheum''. This genus is in the family Polygonaceae, along with dock, sorrel, knotweeds, knotgrasses and buckwheat. The large, somewhat triangular [[leaf]] blades are elevated on long, fleshy [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]]s. The [[flower]]s are small, greenish-white, and borne in large compound leafy [[inflorescence]]s.
Rhubarb is actually a vegetable, but is often used in food as a fruit. In the [[United States]] until the 1940s it was considered a vegetable. It was reclassified as a fruit when US customs officials, baffled by the foreign food, decided it should be classified according to the way it was eaten.<ref>BBC Magazine</ref>
==Cultivation and use==
[[Image:Rhubarb07.JPG|right|thumb|left|Rhubarb displayed for sale at a grocery in [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]]]]
The plant is indigenous to [[Asia]], and many suggest that it was often used by the [[Mongolians]]; particularly, the [[Tatars]] tribes of the Gobi. The plant has grown wild along the banks of the Volga for centuries; it may have been brought there by Eurasian tribes, such as the Scythians, Huns, Magyars or Mongols. Varieties of rhubarb have a long history as medicinal plants in [[traditional Chinese medicine]], but the use of rhubarb as food is a relatively recent innovation, first recorded in [[17th century]] [[England]], after affordable [[sugar]] became available to common people.
Rhubarb is now grown in many areas, primarily for its fleshy petioles, commonly known as ''rhubarb sticks or stalks''. In temperate climates rhubarb is one of the first food plants to be ready for harvest, usually in mid to late Spring (April/May in the Northern Hemisphere, October/November in the Southern). The [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]]s can be cooked in a variety of ways. Stewed, they yield a tart sauce that can be eaten with sugar and other stewed fruit or used as filling for [[pie]]s (see [[rhubarb pie]]), [[tart]]s, and [[crumble]]s. This common use led to the slang term for rhubarb, '''"pie plant"'''. In Germany, this slang term is also used; the common name being ''Rhabarber''<!--do not uncapitalize, nouns are capitalized in German--> in [[German language|German]]. Cooked with [[Strawberry|strawberries]] as a sweetener, rhubarb makes excellent jam. It can also be used to make [[country wine|wine]]. Recently, it has been used in sandwiches.
In former days, a common and affordable sweet for children in parts of the United Kingdom and Sweden was a tender stick of rhubarb, dipped in [[sugar]]. In the [[United Kingdom|UK]] the first rhubarb of the year is grown by candlelight in dark sheds dotted around the noted "[[Rhubarb Triangle]]" of [[Wakefield]], [[Leeds]] and [[Morley, West Yorkshire|Morley]]<ref name="wgur">{{cite web | author = Wakefield Metropolitan District Council | url = http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/CultureAndLeisure/HistoricWakefield/Highlights/Rhubarb/default.htm | title = Rhubarb | accessdate = 2006-03-12}}</ref>.
[[Image:Rhubarb Pie.jpg|thumb|right|A homemade rhubarb pie]]
In warm climates, rhubarb will grow all year round, but in colder climates the parts of the plant above the ground disappear completely during winter, and begin to grow again from the root in early spring. It can be ''forced'', that is, encouraged to grow early, by raising the local temperature. This is commonly done by placing an upturned bucket over the shoots as they come up.
Rhubarb is used as a strong [[laxative]] and for its [[astringent]] effect on the [[mucous membrane]]s of the mouth and the [[nasal cavity]].
==Species==
The plant is represented by about 60 extant species.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/96/3/489 | title=Molecular Phylogeny, Recent Radiation and Evolution of Gross Morphology of the Rhubarb genus Rheum (Polygonaceae) Inferred from Chloroplast DNA trnL-F Sequences | author=Ailan Wang, Meihua Yang and Jianquan Liu | year=2005 | work=Annals of Botany | accessdate=2006-06-18}}</ref> Among species found in the wild, those most commonly used in cooking are the [[Rheum rhabarbarum|Garden Rhubarb]] (''R. rhabarbarum'') and ''[[Rheum rhaponticum|R. rhaponticum]]'', which, though a true rhubarb, bears the common name False Rhubarb.<ref>{{cite web | title=Rheum rhaponticum L. Taxonomic Serial Number 21319 | url=http://itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=21319 | work=[[Integrated Taxonomic Information System]]}}</ref> The many varieties of cultivated rhubarb more usually grown for eating are recognised as Rheum x hybridum in the Royal Horticultural Societies list of recognised plant names. The drug rheum is prepared from the rhizomes and [[root]]s of another species, ''[[Rheum officinale|R. officinale]]'' or Medicinal Rhubarb. This species is also native to Asia, as is the [[Turkey Rhubarb]] (''R. palmatum''). Another species, the [[Sikkim Rhubarb]] (''R. nobile''), is limited to the [[Himalayas]].
''Rheum'' species have been recorded as [[larva]]l food plants for some [[Lepidoptera]] species including [[Brown-tail]], [[Buff Ermine]], [[Cabbage Moth]], [[Large Yellow Underwing]], [[Nutmeg (moth)|The Nutmeg]], [[Setaceous Hebrew Character]] and [[Turnip Moth]].
==Toxic effects==
[[Image:Rhubarb 01.jpg|thumb|Rhubarb]]
[[Image:Rhubarb flower.JPG|thumb|Rhubarb flower.]]
Rhubarb leaves contain [[poison]]ous substances. Rhubarb leaves contain [[oxalic acid]], a [[corrosive]] and [[nephrotoxic]] acid that is abundantly present in many plants. The {{LD50}} (median lethal dose) for pure oxalic acid is predicted to be about 375 [[milligram|mg]]/[[kilogram|kg]] [[body weight]],{{Fact|date=July 2007}} or about 25 [[gram|g]] for a 65 kg (~140 lb) human. While the oxalic acid content of rhubarb leaves can vary, a typical value is about 0.5%,<ref>GW Pucher, AJ Wakeman, HB Vickery. ''[http://www.jbc.org/cgi/content/citation/126/1/43 THE ORGANIC ACIDS OF RHUBARB (RHEUM HYBRIDUM). III. THE BEHAVIOR OF THE ORGANIC ACIDS DURING CULTURE OF EXCISED LEAVES.]'' Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1938</ref> so a rather unlikely five kilograms of the extremely sour leaves would have to be consumed to reach an {{LD50}} dose of oxalic acid. However, the leaves are believed to also contain an additional, unidentified toxin.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002876.htm | title=Rhubarb leaves poisoning | work=Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia}}</ref> In the petioles, the amount of oxalic acid is much lower, especially when harvested before mid-June (in the northern hemisphere), but it is still enough to cause slightly rough teeth.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
The roots and stems are rich in [[anthraquinone]]s, such as [[emodin]] and [[rhein]]. These substances are [[cathartic]] and [[laxative]], which explains the sporadic abuse of Rhubarb as a [[dieting|slimming]] agent. Anthraquinones are yellow or orange and may colour the [[urine]].{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
==Other uses of the word==
It is or was common for a crowd of [[Extra (actor)|extra]]s in [[acting]] to shout the word "rhubarb" repeatedly and out of step with each other, to cause the effect of general hubbub. As a result, the word "rhubarb" sometimes is used to mean "length of superfluous text in speaking or writing", or a general term to refer to irrelevant chatter by chorus or extra actors.
Possibly from this usage, possibly from a variant on "[[Reubens|rube]]", or perhaps some of both, the word also denotes a loud argument. The term has been most commonly used in [[baseball]].
In the 1989 film ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'', The Joker ([[Jack Nicholson]]) tells Bruce Wayne ([[Michael Keaton]]) to "never rub another man's rhubarb". The term was used as a threat to Bruce Wayne warning him to leave both men's love interest Vicki Vale ([[Kim Basinger]]) alone.
The phrase "out in the rhubarb patch" can be used to describe a place being in the far reaches of an area. Rhubarb is usually grown at the outer edges of the garden in the less desirable and unkept area.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
"Donkey Rhubarb" refers to [[Japanese knotweed]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cabi-bioscience.org/html/japanese_knotweed_alliance.htm | title=Japanese Knotweed Alliance}}</ref> and is used as a term when referring to the drug-oriented uses of cannabis.{{Fact|date=July 2007}} For example, the word takes the place of words such as "weed" or "pot" in some places in Canada.
Rhubarb, specifically in the form of the fictitious product "Be-Bop-A-Re-Bop Rhubarb Pie," is frequently mentioned in '[[A Prairie Home Companion]]'. In the 2006 film adaptation of the program, the pies are not mentioned, but rhubarb itself is, including an explanation of the source of the name.
==References==
<!--See [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]] for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->
<references/>
==External links==
{{commonscat|Rheum}}
{{Wikibookspar|Cookbook|Rhubarb Pie}}
* [http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/ The Rhubarb Compendium]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mostof_forcedrhubarb.shtml History of "Forced Rhubarb"]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6474741.stm Just what is "Yorkshire forced indoor rhubarb"?]
[[Category:Polygonaceae]]
[[Category:Stem vegetables]]
[[Category:Vermont cuisine]]
[[Category:Economy of Yorkshire]]