Rheum rhabarbarum (Rhubarb)

This plant is an herbaceous perennial in the Polygonaceae family, native to China, Mongolia and Siberia. It regrows from a persistent crown, producing large, dark green leaves with triangular to heart-shaped blades and strongly wavy edges. Stout, hollow stems carry branched clusters of small greenish-white or yellow-white flowers above the foliage. Its fruits have narrow wings and contain brown seeds. Its thick leaf stalks are cooked in pies and purées, but the leaf blades and roots are poisonous. Photographed in the department of Cundinamarca, Colombia.