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GUNNERA PERPENSA. CAPE GUNNERA. 
KEK KEKE EEK EKER EER 
Class and Order. 
Dianpria Dieryntra.—Vahl. Gynanpeta Dianprisa.—Lin. 
Generic Character. 
Cor. 0. Cal. 2-dentatus. Sem. unum, crusta calicina 
corticatum. Lam. 
Specific Character and Synonyms. 
GunnerA perpensa ; foliis reniformibus dentatis scapo fruc- 
tifero brevioribus, scapo petiolisque levibus. Lin. 
Mant.121. Vahl. Enum. 1. p. 308. Willd. Sp. Pl. 4. 
p. 148. Hort. Kew. ed. alt. 5. p. 223. Persoon Syn. 
i. p. SU. 
Gunnera perpensa ; scapis fructiferis foliis altioribus, racemo 
laxiusculo. Lam. Encycl. 3. p 61. 
Perrensum blitispermum. Burm. Prodr. Cup. 26. : 
— africanus, calthe palustris folio. Herm. Lugdb. 
8. 
Buirvum africanum, calthe palustris folio, caule nudo eubi- 
z= spicam pedalem sustinente. Pluk. Alm. 68. t. 18. 
. 12. 
<= 
. Botanists have not been at all agreed under what class 
i the sexual system to arrange this plant. Linnzus, fol- 
lowed by Wittpenow and the Hortus Kewensis, placed it 
in Gynandria; Tuunnere, Van, and Persoon in Diandria ; 
MaRcK, in Diecia; our individual specimen, as was 
Observed to us by Mr. Kent, certainly belongs to Monecia. 
The American species, which have not been introduced into 
our gardens, may not belong to the same genus, or, if they 
do, may, like some other genera of the natural order of 
Urticarie, to which Guwxera belongs, be one dicecious, 
nother moneecious, and a third hermaphrodite, or poly- 
Samous. 
Magnified 
