Rhubarb

Rhubarb

　　Rhubarb, also known as raw rhubarb or raw military rhubarb. Latin name: Rheum officinale Baill; Tibetan name: Jiong Zha. It is a perennial plant of the Polygonaceae family, collectively referring to Rheum palmatum, Rheum tanguticum, and Rheum officinale. It grows to about 2 meters in height, with membranous leaf sheaths at the stem nodes. The roots penetrate deep, and the leaves are large, with long, fleshy petioles. The leaves are round or broadly cordate, deeply palmately divided into 3–7 lobes, with the segments often shallowly pinnatifid. The stem leaves are alternate, smaller, with shorter petioles. The flowers are arranged in a dense panicle, small and clustered, purple-red or greenish-white. The fruit is triangular with wings, turning brownish when ripe. The rhizome is thick and robust, with a bitter taste. The root is used medicinally as a common laxative. It grows in alpine mountain forests or grassy slopes, and the wild variety is produced in Garzê Prefecture. It is mainly produced in: Garzê, Xinlong, Baiyu, Shiqu, Sertar, Litang, Jiulong, Danba, and Kangding, with other counties also producing it. According to statistics, the total social yield of rhubarb in our prefecture reaches 23,130 dan, most of which is transported for domestic sales and foreign trade exports. Among the nationally exported rhubarb, that produced in our prefecture is of the highest quality, laying a solid foundation for its market. In our prefecture, the rhubarb fruits are harvested in August, cleaned, and dried; the roots are dug up in September, cleaned of mud, stripped of their rough outer layer, sliced, and then dried. This is the process of collection and processing. (Garzê)