Flolape

giant rhubarb

Gunnera manicata Linden ex André
giant rhubarb
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

Gunnera manicata is a flowering plant in the Gunneraceae family, native to the coastal Serra do Mar Mountains in southern Brazil. Commonly known as giant rhubarb, it is sometimes called Brazilian giant-rhubarb or dinosaur food. The species is occasionally confused with the hybrid G. × cryptica, which results from crosses with G. tinctoria.

Description

Gunnera manicata is native to the coastal regions of Santa Catarina, Parana, and Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. It is part of the Gunneraceae family and is known by the common name giant rhubarb. The species was published in 1866 by Linden ex André. It is sometimes misapplied in cultivation to the hybrid Gunnera × cryptica, which is a cross between G. manicata and G. tinctoria. This plant is found in regions including Ireland, Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados, Great Britain, and New Zealand.

Other common names

giant rhubarb

Distribution

IE · Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados · GB · NZ

Synonyms

Gunnera brasiliensis

Related species