Common Name:

General Information

Gunnera magellanica is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a spreading, rhizomatous rootstock and forming a carpet of growth; the leaves are around 2 - 6cm wide, occasionally to 12cm, growing on stout petioles 5 - 22cm long and 3mm in diamete[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental, where it can be used to form a ground cover, and also has potential for use in soil stabilization and restoration projects.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Western S. America - southwest Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and the Falkland Islands.

Habitat

Damp grassy places[]. Moist sheltered places; at elevations from sea-level to 1,000 metres[]. Found at elevations up to 3,800 metres in the tropical parts of its range, it descends to sea level in the temperate climate of southern S. America[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.20 m
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Gunnera magellania is a plant of higher elevations in the tropics, descending to sea level in the temperate zone.. It is not a very cold-tolerant plant, being able to tolerate short periods with temperatures down to about -10 to -15°c[].
Requires a damp humus rich soil in a sunny position or semi-shade[, ]. Prefers a cool moist position[].
The plant has a creeping root and spreads to form extensive patches[].
The top part of the inflorescence is male, the bottom is female and the middle is hermaphrodite according to one report whilst another says that the flowers are unisexual without saying if the two sexes are on the same plant[]. Male and female flowers are on separate plants[].
It is believed that species of the genus Gunnera have existed for about 95 million years[].
Gunnera species are unique in the plant realm through having a symbiotic relationship with a cyanobacteria (Nostoc punctiforme and others). This relationship provides nitrogen to the Gunnera and carbon to the cyanobacteria[]. The genus Nostoc is cosmopolitan and common, so it is likely to be naturally present in the wet habitats in which Gunnera grows[, ].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

One report says that the fruit might be edible[]. The fruit is about 5mm in diameter, but is carried in a bunch on a large infructescence[].
The fruits are eaten by indigenous peoples of southern Chile and Argentina[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

Gunnera species have a high potential for use in the recovery of lands affected by erosion, given their condition as colonizing plants that are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen through symbiosis with the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiform[].

Other Uses

A carpeting plant that roots as it spreads, it is suitable for ground cover when spaced about 45cm apart each way[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a sandy mix in a cold frame[]. The seed can also be sown in the spring[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division as new growth commences in the spring[]. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.