Question
What characteristics does a Rhubarb seed take on if not the parent plant?

Answer
Hi Ron,
Thanx for your question.  It's not the seed that takes on the different characteristics but the new plant itself.  All the seeds look pretty much alike, papery, thin and somewhat round or ovate.  Non-heirloom/non-open pollinated seedlings will not resemble their parents exactly in a number of possible ways such as color, vigor, heighth,  thickness of the stalks, quickness to bolt (go to seed), size of leaves, size of root crown, taste, ability to be stored, firmness of stalks, etc.  These characteristics will often be inferior to the parent plant in the case of seeds collected from hybrids.  I hope this helps.
Tom