Rheum strictum Franchet.

Herbs short, 15-28 cm tall. Stem erect, dark purple, usually not hollow, 3-5 mm in diam. at base, pilose. Basal leaves 2-4; petiole purple, subterete, ca. as long as blade or slightly longer, slender, pubescent; leaf blade light green abaxially, dark green adaxially, oblong-elliptic or ovate-elliptic, rarely orbicular, 3-6 × 2.5-5 cm, nearly leathery, abaxially hispidulous especially along veins or margin, adaxially glabrous or hispidulous along main vein, basal veins 3-5, middle one stout, base subcordate, margin entire to slightly sinuolate, apex obtuse. Stem leaves 1 or 2, linear above, small; ocrea short, membranous when dry, glabrous, not clasping. Panicle narrow, branched once, usually purple hispidulous. Pedicel 3-4.5 mm, slender, jointed below middle. Flowers large, ca. 5 mm, 3- or 4-fascicled. Tepals narrowly elliptic, outer 3 smaller, 1.5-2 × ca. 1 mm, inner 3 ca. 2.5 × 1.5 mm, with dark purple-red margin. Filaments purple, short, 1-1.5 mm; anthers purple, broadly elliptic to subglobate. Style reflexed; stigma purple, compressed. Fruit cordate-orbicular, 8-9 mm in diam.; wings ca. 2.5 mm wide, with longitudinal vein at middle. Seeds ovoid. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Aug-Sep.

Slopes; 3000-4800 m. W Sichuan, N Yunnan [Bhutan, Nepal].