Gunnera perpensa

Botanical Description

Gunnera perpensa is a perennial herb up to 1 metre tall, growing from a more or less elongated, usually creeping rhizome that is up to 3 cm[ 308 Title Flora Zambesiaca Publication Author Website http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine[ 46 Title Dictionary of Economic Plants. Publication Author Uphof. J. C. Th. Publisher Weinheim Year 1959 ISBN - Description An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader. ]. A popular medicine in S. Africa, where the plant is predominantly collected from the wild and is sold in markets, pharmacies and supermarkets with a high market value[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ]. The plant also has potential for use in soil stabilization and restoration projects[ 1922 Title Gunneraceae Publication Flora Neotropica Monograph 109 Author Mora-Osejo L.E., Pabón-Mora N. & González F. Publisher The New York Botanical Garden Press; New York Year 2011 ISBN 978-0-89327-508-2 Description ]. The population of Gunnera perpensa in S. Africa is declining due to destructive over-harvesting and destruction of its wetland habitats. The plant has become seriously endangered in South Africa, therefore cultivation trials have been carried out in the country[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ]. This is, however, a widespread species that is found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and, globally, the plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2018)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].