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A lush looking round leaved species that I got from Hardy Exotics. I thought that it would do well in the garden but in fact it died out fairly rapidly. Wikipedia had told me: "Monk's-rhubarb is native to Central and Southern Europe and to Western Asia. It is naturalized in Britain. This species prefers high-altitude environments rich in nitrates, at elevation of up to 2,000 to 2,400 metres (6,600 to 7,900 ft) above sea level. It can be found in arable land, fields, yards, rubbish dumps, roadsides and shores." The Plants for a Future website says: "Plants can contain quite high levels of oxalic acid, which is what gives the leaves of many members of this genus an acid-lemon flavour. Perfectly alright in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since the oxalic acid can lock-up other nutrients in the food, especially calcium, thus causing mineral deficiencies." |
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