Rheum alexandrae Batalin

Herbs 40-80 cm tall. Rhizomes and roots straight, stout. Stem straight, usually yellow-green, finely striped, stout, hollow, glabrous, simple. Basal leaves 4-6. Petiole of basal leaf ca. as long as blade or longer, subterete, glabrous; leaf blade ovate to ovate-elliptic, 9-14 × 6.5-9 cm, both surfaces glabrous, rarely papilliferous along main vein and margin, basal veins 5-7, middle 3 stout; ocrea brown, large, ca. 7 cm, membranous when dry, clasping; leaves usually light green adaxially, narrowly ovate, membranous when dry, shortly petiolate or sessile. Panicle 2-or 3-branched, erect, 3-6 cm, glabrous. Pedicel 2.5-4 mm, slender, jointed near base, glabrous. Flowers fascicled, small. Tepals (4 or 5 or)6, green, connected at base to cup, ca. 1.5 mm. Stamens 7-9; filaments 2.5-3 mm, from perianth; anthers oblong-elliptic. Ovary rhomboid-obovoid; styles 3 or 2, short, reflexed; stigma inflated. Fruit rhomboid-ellipsoid, 7-8 × 5-6 mm, base cuneate or broadly cuneate, apex retuse; wings dark brown, ca. 0.5 mm, very narrow, smooth. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Sep.

It is a temperate plant. It grows between 3,000-4,600 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

The stems are eaten raw after removing the skin.

Can be grown by divisions.