For more than 170 years, scientists believed this iconic Himalayan plant was a single species. But new research by the Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has revealed that the famous "tower rhubarb" is actually four distinct species.

Among them, the standout discovery is Rheum lushuiense, found in the Gaoligong Mountains region of southwest China's Yunnan Province. It is the smallest of the four species, reaching just 45 to 80 centimeters in height-less than half the size of its towering relatives, which can grow up to two meters tall.

Known as a "natural greenhouse," tower rhubarb survives some of the harshest conditions on Earth. Its translucent leaves act like tiny solar panels, trapping heat and shielding flowers from intense ultraviolet radiation at high altitudes. (CGTN)

Rheum lushuiense (Photo credit: KIB, CAS)

Field work (Photo credit: KIB, CAS)