Plate 19. 
GUNNEEA MAGELLANICA. 
Family, HALORAaE^ :-Aquatic herbs with very small, often uni- 
sexual flowers. Calyx lobes and petals 4, 2 or none. Petals 
separate. Stamens definite. Ovary inferior. Styles distinct. 
Genus GuNNERA :— Perennial herbaceous plants with a creeping rhizome 
Sometimes attaining a good height. Leaves all radical, ovate 
or kidney-shaped. Flowers arranged in a spike-like inflorescence 
hermaphrodite or male and female flowers distinct, small, crimson 
or greenish-red. Calyx tube ovoid or compressed, 2-3 lobed 
unequal m male flowers and often imperfect or absent. Petals 
2 or none. Stamens 1-2. Ovary 1-celled. Styles 2. Fruit a 
drupe, either firm and dry or fleshy, 3-angled or nearly globose. 
Gunnera magellanica, Lam. (Locally called " pig oure ") 
Plant varies very much in size. Leaves kidney-shaped, 1-2* in 
broad with regular rounded teeth, smooth on the upper surface! 
hairy on the under, leaf stalk also hairy. Male and female 
flowers distinct and on different plants. Spike of male flowers 
k)nger than the leaves and the flowers are shortly stalked. 
Xhe female spilces are shorter than the leaves and the flowers 
have no stalks. Calyx lobes narrow. Petals none. Styles 
feathery. Fruit brilliant scarlet. 
Found on many kinds of soil, in sheltered places near sea, 
but IS most luxuriant in damp situations. Very abundant, 
eaten by cattle. 
Flowers in November. 
East and West Falklands. 
Description of plate :-l, plant with female spike; 2 and 3, male 
SniV 'I r^^'.'o^'P/'*^'' 6, section of pistil; 7, fruit ; 8, section 
ot iruit. Figs. 3 and 5-8 enlarged. 
