SC - Rhubarb

[LrdRas]

In a message dated 5/24/98 11:39:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
KKimes1066 at aol.com writes:

<< Rhubarb is illustrated in Tacinum Sanitatis as well as several other
herbals.
 It's "period", period. >>

I think that it is pretty well established that rhubarb is a "period" plant.
IMO, it is kind of hard to classify a plant that grows wild in Europe as not
period. However, the problem arises when asking the question as to whether
rhubarb was used as a food plant or not.

So far as my research goes, it is pretty mush excepted that rhubarb was used
as a medicinal plant. Outside of the personal experiences many of us have had
with the medical benefits and the occasional mention of it in herbals, is
there any basis in fact that rhubarb was used as a "food" plant during period?

I have seen references to the use of the flowerbuds of several varieties here
and there and a specific mention of the stalks of one variety being used.
However, I am unaware of any mention of the use of rhubarb as a food until the
19th century C.E. Would anyone have any info which could shed some light on
this question?

Ras
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