Gynerium — Gunner a. 1 43 



soils of very many gardens are insufficient to give it the 

 highest degree of strength and vigour, and no plant better 

 repays for a thorough preparation, which ought to be 

 the more freely given when it is considered that one 

 preparation suffices for many years. If convenient, give 

 it a somewhat sheltered position in the flower-garden, so 

 as to prevent as much as possible that ceaseless searing 

 away of the foliage which occurs wherever the plant is 

 much exposed to the breeze. We rarely see such fine 

 specimens as in quiet nooks where it is pretty well 

 sheltered by the surrounding vegetation. It is very 

 striking to come upon noble specimens in such quiet 

 green nooks ; but, as before hinted, to leave such a mag- 

 nificent plant out of the flower-garden proper is a decided 

 mistake. Seed and division. 



*Gunnera scabra. — Mr. Darwin met with this in a 

 region where the vegetation is so luxuriant that the 

 branches of the trees extend over the sea, somewhat like 

 those of a shrubbery of evergreens over a gravel walk. 

 " I one day noticed growing on the sandstone cliffs some 

 very fine plants of the Panke {Gunnera scabra), which 

 somewhat resembles the rhubarb on a gigantic scale. 

 The inhabitants eat the stalks, which are sub-acid, and 

 tan leather with the roots, and prepare a black dye from 

 them. The leaf is nearly circular, but deeply indented 

 on its margin. I measured one which was nearly 8 ft. in 

 diameter, and therefore no less than 24 ft. in circum- 

 ference ! The stalk is rather more than a yard high, and 

 each plant sends out four or five of these enormous leaves, 

 presenting altogether a very noble appearance." Of a 

 spot in the same neighbourhood he says : " The forest 



