Gunnera magnifica, commonly called hoja de pantano, is a large herbaceous shrub or tree-like plant native to the montane rainforests of the Colombian Andes in Caldas Province. It can grow as high as The lower trunk is decumbent and rhizomatous, while the upper trunk is upright and palm-like. This pachycaul trunk is up to thick. At the top is a rosette of huge leaves, the blade, or lamina of which is up to long by up to 184 cm (six feet) in width. The stalk, or petiole is in length and in thickness. These huge leaves emerge from a bud up to long by up to wide; the largest leaf bud of any known plant. The panicle of red, dimerous (two sepals, two petals, two stamens, and a two styled pistel) flowers, panicle and pedicel combined, is up to in height. The bud scales covering the terminal bud are up to in length by up to 7.5 cm (three inches) wide, the largest of any known plant.
Parenting Report
Gunnera magnifica
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