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  4. Gunnera tinctoria

Gunnera tinctoria

Gunnera tinctoria.<br>Photographer: Graeme La Cock, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Seedlings amongst Selliera. Manaia.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Leaf margin.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Gunnera manicata (left) and G. tinctoria.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Otakeho sea cliffs. Mar 2000.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Sea cliff near Oeo. Oct 1996.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Gunnera tinctoria.<br>Photographer: Trevor James, Date taken: 21/10/2006, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Gunnera tinctoria.<br>Photographer: Trevor James, Date taken: 24/09/2006, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Leaf of Gunnera tinctoria.<br>Photographer: Trevor James, Date taken: 06/09/2004, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Gunnera tinctoria plants.<br>Photographer: Trevor James, Date taken: 06/09/2004, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Gunnera tinctoria, sea cliffs, Oeo, South Taranaki.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 27/10/1996, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Gunnera tinctoria and Gunnera manicata.<br>Photographer: Clayson Howell, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Gunnera tinctoria and Gunnera manicata.<br>Photographer: Clayson Howell, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Common name

Chilean rhubarb

Family

Gunneraceae

Authority

Gunnera tinctoria (Molina) Mirbel

Flora category

Vascular – Exotic

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites

Conservation status

Not applicable

Brief description

Giant rhubarb-like herb, dying back to the large creeping stems over winter, with huge prickly leaves up to 2.5 m tall and large sausage-like flower spikes up to 1 m tall with tiny flowers and fruit covering the spike.

Distribution

Very scattered throughout New Zealand, but commonest in high rainfall areas, e.g. South Taranaki, Westland

Habitat

Margins of wetlands, damp cliffs and banks, often in light shade.

Wetland plant indicator status rating

Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland).

FAC: Facultative

Commonly occurs as either a hydrophyte or non-hydrophyte (non-wetlands).

Features

Giant, clump-forming, gynomonoecious, summergreen herb, with short, stout, horizontal rhizomes. Winter resting buds massive, to about 25cm long. Lvs to about 2.5 m high, rhubarb-like, but rough to the touch. Petiole to 1m long, studded with conic, short, often reddish, prickles. Inflorescence spike-like and up to 1 m long, with very small flowers. small round orange fruit 1.5-2 mm long.

Similar taxa

Very identifiable plant. Some specimens in cultivation have been called G. manicata, perhaps in error but perhaps to avoid the prohibition on growing G. tinctoria. These always have a much more lax flowering spike. But otherwise are very similar dimensions to G. manicata.

Flowering

October and November

Flower colours

Green, Red/Pink

Fruiting

Autumn

Life cycle

Perennial. Gynomonoecious, i.e. has female and hermaphrodite flowers on the same plant. Reproduces by seed, and massive rhizomes. Huge amounts of seed with high viability is produced. No information on seed longevity. Seed spread by birds and water, rhizomes by deliberate plantings, soil movement.

Year naturalised

1968

Origin

Chile to Colombia in the Andes

Reason for introduction

Ornamental plant

Control techniques

Can be controlled manually, mechanically or herbicidally depending on situation.

Tolerances

Extremely tolerant of salt, wide variety of soil conditions, very wet swampy sites to dry banks.

Etymology

gunnera: Named after Bishop Gunner, a Swedish botanist

National Pest Plant Accord species

This plant is listed in the 2020 National Pest Plant Accord. The National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) is an agreement to prevent the sale and/or distribution of specified pest plants where either formal or casual horticultural trade is the most significant way of spreading the plant in New Zealand. For up to date information and an electronic copy of the 2020 Pest Plant Accord manual (including plant information and images) visit the MPI website.

Attribution

Factsheet prepared by Paul Champion and Deborah Hofstra (NIWA). Features description from Webb et al., (1988).

References and further reading

Webb, C.J.; Sykes, W.R.; Garnock-Jones, P.J. (1988). Flora of New Zealand Volume 4: Naturalised pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch.

Popay et al (2010).  An illustrated guide to common weeds of New Zealand, third edition.  NZ Plant Protection Society Inc, 416pp.

Williams, PA; Ogle, CC, Timmins, SM; La Cock, G; Clarkson, J (2005). Chilean rhubarb (Gunnera tinctoria); biology, ecology and conservation impacts in New Zealand.
DOC Research & Development Series no.210. Dept of Conservation, Wellington.

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