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Parent: HALORAGACEAE

2. GUNNERA L., 1767

Infl. paniculate to scapose; fls unisexual or perfect. Sepals and petals 2-3 or 0; stamens 1-2; ovary inferior, 1-celled, 1-ovuled; stigmas 2; fr. a drupe. Perennial herbs with radical lvs, extremely large to small, bearing intravaginal scales. Some 40 spp., mainly of S. America, S. Africa, East Indies, New Guinea.

The Tasmanian and N.Z. spp. belong to the section Milligania of Schindler (Milligania Hook. f. in Hook. Ic. Pl. 1840, t. 299, based on M. cordifolia Hook. f.). Herbs sprending by stolons or rhizomes: lvs small, in rosettes at nodes; scales minute, not forming ochreae; bracts 2. stamens 2.
The N.Z. spp. are endemic, but closely allied to the Tasmanian. But little progress has been made since the revision by Kirk (T.N.Z.I. 27, 1895, 341-348) and the group needs study de novo.

spacer
1
♂(above) and ♀ (below) in same infl.; drupe ± globose 2
♂ and ♀ in separate infls; drupe obconic to pyriform 5
2
Drupe white 3
Drupe red or yellow 4
3
Lamina teeth, all or most, acutely dentate 1. monoica
Lamina teeth, all or most, bluntly crenate 2. albocarpa
4
Lamina densely strigose-hairy; ♂ part of infl. simple or with few branches 3. strigosa
Lamina sparsely strigose-hairy; ♂ part of infl. much branched 4. mixta
5
Lamina thin, crenate-sinuate, to subentire 6
Lamina coriac., ± fleshy, if crenate then coarsely so 7
6
Drupes red 5. prorepens
Drupes yellow 6. flavida
7
Lamina deltoid-ovate, grey-green, very coriac.; teeth close-set, regular, minute 10. hamiltonii
Lamina not having all the above characters in combination 8
8
Lamina of narrow-ovate order, coarsely toothed 8. dentata
Lamina of broad-ovate order, less coarsely toothed 9
9
Teeth crenate; drupes yellowish red, c. 4-5 mm. long 9. arenaria
Teeth dentate, drupes dark red, c. 2-3 mm. long 7. densiflora
Fig. 12. GUNNERA. Leaves.