군네라 팅크토리아-[정명] Gunnera tinctoria (Molina) Mirb.

Gunnera tinctoria, known as giant rhubarb, Chilean rhubarb, or nalca, is a flowering plant species native to southern Chile and neighboring zones in Argentina. It is unrelated to rhubarb, as the two plants belong to different orders, but looks similar from a distance and has similar culinary uses. It is a large-leaved perennial plant that grows to more than two metres tall. It has been introduced to many parts of the world as an ornamental plant. In some countries, such as New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland, it has spread from gardens and is becoming an introduced species of concern. It is known under the synonyms: Gunnera chilensis Lam. and Gunnera scabra Ruiz & Pav.

Taxonomy

It was first described in 1782 by Juan Ignacio Molina as Panke tinctoria, and was transferred to the genus Gunnera in 1805 by Charles-François Brisseau de Mirbel.

Description

Gunnera tinctoria is a giant, clump-forming herbaceous perennial. The leaves can grow up to 2.5 m across, cordate and palmate with up to 9-lobed margins. The stems are covered in numerous spikes. It has erect spikes of cone-shaped inflorescences (to 1 m) from spring to early summer, with small flowers. The fruit is orange. The number of seeds is estimated from 80,000 per seedhead to 250,000 per plant.

Habitat

Stream and roadsides.

Uses

In its native Chile, where it is called nalca or pangue, it is used in a similar way to European rhubarb: after peeling, the stalks are eaten fresh or cooked into jam or cordial. The leaves are used in the preparation of the traditional Chilean dish curanto. The roots are also traditionally used to tan leather and as a black dye. 

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