River rhubarb

[Ashmole]

Has anyone heard of "river rhubarb"? Apparently I've been growing and eating the stuff for years without realising it. My allotment neighbour, the venerable Bill, told me that when he was a lad in Gloucestershire, some ninety odd summers ago, they wouldn't touch the stuff with a barge pole. He reckoned that it was usually found on the banks of streams and was never used as a food stuff. My old friend was surprised that I still seemed reasonably fit having feasted on it for so long.
I'll try to describe it as best I can. It has already been in flower for a couple of weeks, the long stems topped with a creamy cluster of pleasantly scented flowers. The leaves seem identical to any other rhubarb, but I must confess that the edible? stalks are very thick and rather green. Any ideas?

[Larkshall]

Sounds suspicious. Rhubarb leaves contain Oxalic Acid (toxin), I've always assumed that green stalks would be the same. Potatoes and tomatoes have a similar problem, the stalks and leaves contain a toxin, green tomatoes must not be eaten raw but OK when cooked. Green potatoes must not be eaten, slight greenish colour can be eaten when cooked but any parts which are really green must be cut off.

[Johnboy]

May I second what Larkshall has written and add just a little bit more.
Green Potatoes and Spinach are quite dangerous to a lass who is pregnant. Spinach contains quite high levels of Oxalic Acid as do most of the Beets. However Sea Kale Beet (Swiss Chard) is quite low in Oxalic Acid if picked when young. Just do not eat large quantities.
JB.

[alan refail]

Hi Ashmole

I think the "rhubarb" bit is misleading people.

If your plant starts like this



and when the flowers go looks like this



it is Common Butterbur (Petasites hybridus)

[Johnboy]

Hi Alan,
I would be more than surprised if Butter Bur turns out to be the plant.
The Butter Bur that grows here certainly does grow to quite a size later on in the year but as to confusing it for Rhubarb at this time of the year I scarce believe that anybody could seriously do so.
I must confess that I gave Ashmole's letter considerable thought and gave up after a while. There are several decorative types of Rheum which could quite easily confuse anybody and it is possibly one of these. I certainly would not eat anything that I was not 100% sure of especially a lookalike!
JB.

[alan refail]

Hi Johnboy

I too gave the original post a lot of thought. The location is right for butterbur and the description seemed to fit. Recorded local names for the plant include: Bog Rhubarb, Gipsy's Rhubarb, Poison Rhubarb, Snake's Rhubarb, Turkey Rhubarb and Wild Rhubarb (source Geoffrey Grigson, The Englishman's Flora). So the "rhubarb" connection is fairly strong.
I await Ashmole's reply.

Alan

[Johnboy]

Hi Alan,
I find your posting most interesting regarding the Rhubarb connections.
I am absolutely amazed at the amount of names!
What I also find particularly interesting are the two photo's in your previous posting.
Photo1.
A very sturdy flower in full bloom with no immediate leaves.
Photo2.
A very different plant with a loose flower in bud with large leaves present.
Quite large Rhubarb type leaves before it is in bloom.

The flower in Photo 1 is exactly as Butter Bur grows hereabouts. The sturdy flower appears long before there is any sign of leaves, they begin to appear as the flower is on the wane. There are two places where this grows on the verge twixt me and the village. Both patches are about 40ft wide and are approx 100yds apart. Neither are anywhere immediately near water although a stream separates the two patches and runs under the road but never floods at either place and they are high off the road.
I wonder if they are variations of the same plant or different varieties.
Which photo do you associate with Butter Bur in your area?
JB.

[alan refail]

Hi Johnboy

The butterbur I see comes up like the first picture, before the leaves appear. Later in the summer, when the flowers have disappeared, the large leaves take over. My second picture seems to show the growing leaves and a flower hear coming to an end. It was the best pcture I could google at the time. This is maybe a more representative one - it certainly shows the "rhubarb" appearance.

[alan refail]

Johnboy

Coincidentally the Welsh for butterbur is Alan - no kidding!

[Johnboy]

Hi Alan,
Your last picture of the BB leaf is certainly Rhubarb like and could cause confusion.
I have never seen a flower like your second photo as here they remain as in the first photo very sturdy at all times.
However I am very eager for Ashmole's reply.
JB.

[alan refail]

Hi Johnboy

Looks like we'll never know. I have PMed Ashmole - no reply and he hasn't visited the site since early May. Pity; I'd love to know what the River Rhubarb was