Botanical Name: Rheum australe D. Don
Family: Polygonaceae
Nepali Name: Padamchaal, chulthi amilo;
English Name: Himalayan rhubarb


Habitat and distribution: Open, rocky grounds; 3200-4500m, WCE Nepal.

Diagnostic charactersa: Herb about 1.5m high with woody rootstock. Leaves stalked,orbiculate or broadly ovate, cordate, entire, glabrous above, sparsely hairy on the veins beneath. Flowers dark purple. Fruit oblong, ovoid, purple, winged, notched at the apex.

Parts used: Petiole and rhizome
Medicinal Properties:
The root is anticholesterolemic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antitumor, aperient, astringent, cholagogue, demulcent, diuretic, laxative, purgative, stomachic and tonic. Small doses act as an astringent tonic to the digestive system, whilst larger doses act as a mild laxative. The root is taken internally in the treatment of chronic constipation, diarrhoea, liver and gall bladder complaints, haemorrhoids, menstrual problems and skin eruptions due to an accumulation of toxins. This remedy is not prescribed for pregnant or lactating women, nor for patients with intestinal obstruction. Externally, the root is used in the treatment of burns. The roots are harvested in October from plants that are at least six years old, they are then dried for later use. This is used especially in the treatment of diarrhoea in teething children.

Status: Commercially threatened