SC - Rhubarb (was "Berries)

[Matilda Prevost-Hart]

I am so so so so so behind on my mail. Okay, enough about me.

I believe that rhubarb leaves are very poisonous, to the point that rhubarb
was avoided except for medicinal use, and then there were all kinds of
strictures.

Like many (most?) things, however, this is pulled directly from my
skull-cum-encylopedia, so I don't have the reference. Sadly, I can't seem to
remember sources in addition to facts. This is very annoying to me, and to
those who ask me strange questions just to see if I know stuff (cf. my
lovely, albeit peculiar, spouse)...

Regards,

Mathilde du Neige
mka Matilda Prevost-Hart

>snip<
Bear wrote:

>Rhubarb (Rhuem rhubarbarum, et al.) was known in Antiquity.  The word
>rhubarbe was first used in English about 1390.

But was it used as food? Every source I´ve consulted says the roots were
valued for their medical uses, and the stalks maybe used for making rhubarb
syrup, again for medical uses, but the stalks weren´t used as food until
much later - not until about 1800 in England, even later in some other
countries.

Nanna
>end.snip<

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