1435

 

Gunnera manicata Linden ex Delchev.

Synonym	:	Gunnera brasiliensis Schindl.
Family	:	Gunneraceae
Local name	:	English- Brazilian giant-rhubarb Malayalam-
Flowering and fruiting period	:	June to July
Distribution	:	native to the Serra do Mar mountains of Brazil
Habitat	:	Mountain slops
Uses		Gunnera manicata's large size (up to 3m), and distinctive leaves makes it attractive to gardeners and it is widely planted for ornamental reasons.
Key botanical characters:  G. manicata is a large, herbaceous clump-forming perennial that grows up to 3 m in height and spreads up to 4 m. Leaves are deep green, round to kidney-shaped, pleated and can grow up to 2.5 m long and 2 m wide. Leaves are palmately lobed, sharply toothed and have very prominent, prickly veins underneath. Stems are long (up to 2.5m) and have short, rubbery prickles that are reddish in colour. Rhizomes are stout and horizontal, and house cyanobacteria. G. manicata flowers in summer on stiff, straight and closely branches concial panicles 1-2 m. Flowers are minute, epigynous and green or rusty red in colour. G. manicata exhibits a combination of perfect and unisexual flowers.  Fruit are drupes, 2-3 mm, red-green in colour rounded and barely fleshy . The bracts of G. manicata, which are a diagnostic feature, are up to 12 cm long, whitish green in colour and are very thin. Apart from the veins, the bracts are transparent when dry and deeply laciniate with long lobes also from near the base. These primary lobes (laciniae) are often one third to half the length of the bract and are in their turn laciniately divided into secondary lobes with fimbriate margins. Only the adaxial side of the bract is hairy .