Morphological studies and development of Ex-situ protocol for rehabilitation of threatened Rheum species under nursery conditions

Abstract

<p><em>Rheum</em> is a strong vigorous plant and can live long even in tough conditions. The <em>Rheum</em> species have been domesticated as medicinal plants for human consumption. <em>Rheum</em> species are perennial stout herbs. Rhubarb is a common English name of the genus <em>Rheum</em>. Rhubarb is a plant name for the many different species of <em>Rheum</em>, distributed in the temperate and sub tropical regions of Himalaya from Kashmir to Sikkim and growing wild in the mountains of the Western and North-western provinces of China and adjoining Tibetan territory. It is cultivated much in Europe and the United States. In Kashmir Himalaya, it ranges from an altitude of 1700 - 5500m. It is famous for its medicinal uses. Roots are long and stout. Stem is erect, hollow, sulcate, glabrous or strigose. It is native to Asia-Temperate to Asia – Tropical, from China to India, Nepal and Pakistan. In India, its found in Himachal Pradesh Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh. In Jammu and Kashmir, it grows on open slopes and shrubberies in Kashmir, Leh and Zanaskar valley between 3000-5000 m, where <em>R.webbianum</em> is found. The <em>Rheum spiciforme</em> is also one of most known medicinal plant and is found on high altitudes of Gurez valley(3000m 5000m). <em>Rheum</em> also prefers a full sunny location and thrives in a moist, fertile soil. Most <em>Rheum</em> species can handle heavier clay soils better than many other herbs and makes a striking addition to the spring landscape. Rhubarb is propagated from seeds, seedlings, or pieces of rhizome. </p>

Seed morphometry of Rheum L. (Polygonaceae) species from Kazakhstan and its implications in taxonomy and species identification

“…Extensive research is being carried out on the biology of the genus Rheum in taxonomy (Jafari et al 2012; Baradaran and Jafari 2014;İlçim and Karahan 2020), morphometry and biostatistics (Bhardwaj and Sood 2020), ontogeny (Kandari et al 2012;Tabin et al 2016;Shukla and Thapliyal 2021;Wani et al 2022), karyology (Ruirui et al 2010), and genetics (Sanchez et al 2011;Zhao et al 2017;Li and Wang 2020).…”