Tall and strong, bractleaf rhubarb (Rheum alexandrae Batal) is an herbaceous plant endemic to eastern Tibet, western Sichuan and northwestern Yunnan Province.

It has special translucent bracts to keep itself warm and create a greenhouse effect to adapt to the alpine mountains. Their bright yellow bracts can also help them attract insects to pollinate while blocking ultraviolet radiation at high altitudes.

Bractleaf rhubarb and noble rhubarb (Rheum nobile) are like siblings, both belonging to the genus Rheum, and they are all glasshouse plants. But these two species choose a complete different environment to live in.

With the ability to live in harsh environments, bractleaf rhubarb has found itself a comfortable home in the valley of Shangri-La. Crystal clean streams and bell-shaped flowers are its best company. Meanwhile, its cousin noble rhubarb lives on the harsh rocky mountain slope with strong winds and rains.

When CGTN Nature filming crew filmed in Shangri-La, they recorded these two rare alpine plants. Unlike human siblings who might care about what other people think, plants are less disrupted by public opinion. What they follow is the law of nature and their own preferences. 

(Video provided by CGTN Nature. Cover image designed by CGTN's Gao Hongmei.)

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