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Gunnera tinctoria - (Molina.)Mirb.

Gunnera

Author	(Molina.)Mirb.	Botanical references	200
Family	Gunneraceae	Genus	Gunnera
Synonyms	Gunnera chilensis - Lam. Gunnera scabra - Ruiz.&Pav.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	S. America - Chile.
Habitat	Moist soils by lakes and rivers of the Central Provinces[139].
Edibility Rating	1 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	1 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 2m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Meadow; Bog Garden;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Stem.

Young leaf stalks - peeled and cooked as a vegetable or eaten raw[2, 177, 183]. Acid and refreshing[139].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Astringent.

The whole plant is astringent[139].

Other Uses

Dye; Roofing; Tannin.

A black dye is obtained from the root[139]. The root contains 9% tannin[46, 139]. Leaves are used as a roof covering[139].

Cultivation details

Requires a damp humus rich soil in a sunny position or semi-shade, sheltered from strong winds. Plants can be grown in quite coarse grass, which can be cut annually in the autumn[233]. The rootstock is rather tender, surviving to -10°c and requiring some protection away from the milder parts of Britain. This can be achieved by piling either bracken or the plants dying leaves around the crown[187]. The top part of the inflorescence is male, the bottom is female and the middle is hermaphrodite. A very ornamental plant with huge leaves, it forms a slowly spreading dense clump[187]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a sandy mix in a cold frame. The seed can also be sown in a shady position in a greenhouse in the spring. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 8 weeks at 15°c. 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. The clumps can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: The Edible Pond and Bog Garden.

References

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[139] ? Flora of Chile. (in Spanish) 0
Some information about the useful plants of Chile.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

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