rhubarb plant
Noun: 1. A perennial plant (Rheum rhabarbarum and related species) characterized by its large, broad leaves and long, thick, edible leafstalks (petioles). The stalks are typically green or reddish, have a tart, acidic flavor, and are used in cooking, especially in desserts like pies. The leaves contain toxic compounds and are poisonous if ingested.
The term "rhubarb plant" specifically refers to the entire plant species cultivated for its edible stalks. It is used to distinguish the living plant from the food product ("rhubarb") made from its stalks. - The rhubarb plant thrives in cool climates and needs a period of winter chill. - When harvesting, carefully cut the stalks from the base of the rhubarb plant, leaving the leaves behind. - It's important to remember that while the stalks are delicious, the leaves of the rhubarb plant are toxic.
- Botanical Context: In horticulture and botany, "rhubarb plant" is the precise term for the species in the genus grown for culinary use, differentiating it from ornamental or medicinal rhubarb varieties.
- The gardener identified it as a rhubarb plant from the genus Rheum, not an ornamental look-alike.
- Rhubarb (noun): Most commonly refers to the edible, cooked stalks of the plant used as a food. It can also refer to the plant itself in a general culinary context.
- She made a strawberry rhubarb pie. (refers to the food)
- We need to divide the rhubarb this spring. (refers to the plant)
- Pieplant (noun, informal): A colloquial name for the rhubarb plant, stemming from its primary use in pies.
- Garden rhubarb: A common synonym specifying the cultivated variety.
- Pie plant: An informal synonym highlighting its culinary use.
The word "rhubarb" alone, separate from "rhubarb plant," has a distinct, informal meaning in theater and old-fashioned slang: - A noisy quarrel or dispute: This usage originates from the practice of actors repeating the word "rhubarb" to simulate the sound of a murmuring crowd. - The debate turned into a real rhubarb on the senate floor.Note: This meaning is unrelated to the plant and is considered a separate lexical item.
- plants having long green or reddish acidic leafstalks growing in basal clumps; stems (and only the stems) are edible when cooked; leaves are poisonous