Gunnera L.

Volume I (1961) - Flora of New Zealand Indigenous Tracheophyta - Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledons

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.

Key

♂(above) and ♀ (below) in same infl.; drupe ± globose

♂ and ♀ in separate infls; drupe obconic to pyriform

Drupe white

Drupe red or yellow

Lamina teeth, all or most, acutely dentate

1. monoica

Lamina teeth, all or most, bluntly crenate

2. albocarpa

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

Lamina thin, crenate-sinuate, to subentire

Lamina coriac., ± fleshy, if crenate then coarsely so

Drupes red

5. prorepens

Drupes yellow

6. flavida

Lamina deltoid-ovate, grey-green, very coriac.; teeth close-set, regular, minute

10. hamiltonii

Lamina not having all the above characters in combination

Lamina of narrow-ovate order, coarsely toothed

8. dentata

Lamina of broad-ovate order, less coarsely toothed

Teeth crenate; drupes yellowish red, c. 4-5 mm. long

9. arenaria

Teeth dentate, drupes dark red, c. 2-3 mm. long

7. densiflora

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.

Fig. 12. GUNNERA. Leaves. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X0U]

Gunnera L.

Key

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