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Gunneraceae FAMILY

Gunnera apiculata

Gunnera apiculata

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

It is believed that species of the genus Gunnera have existed for about 95 million years[1]. Gunnera species are unique in the plant realm through having a symbiotic relationship with a cyanobacteria (Nostoc punctiforme and others). This relationship provides nitrogen to the Gunnera and carbon to the cyanobacteria[2]. The genus Nostoc is cosmopolitan and common, so it is likely to be naturally present in the wet habitats in which Gunnera grows[3, 2].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, it germinates best in very moist, but not wet, conditions and temperatures of around 22 - 29°c.. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Gunnera+apiculata>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]PlantZAfrica.com — http://www.plantzafrica.com ↩︎An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
  2. [2]Gunneraceae — Mora-Osejo L.E., Pabón-Mora N. & González F. · The New York Botanical Garden Press; New York · 2011 · ISBN 978-0-89327-508-2 ↩︎
  3. [3]Invasive Species Compendium — http://www.cabi.org ↩︎An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).