Gunnera tinctoria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gunnera tinctoria |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Gunnera
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| Species: |
tinctoria
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| Synonyms | |
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Gunnera scabra Ruiz & Pav. |
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Gunnera tinctoria, also called giant rhubarb or Chilean rhubarb, is a large flowering plant. It grows naturally in southern Chile and nearby parts of Argentina. Even though it's called "rhubarb," it's not related to the rhubarb we usually eat. They just look a bit similar and can be used in cooking in similar ways.
This plant is a perennial, meaning it lives for more than two years. It can grow very tall, over two meters (about 6.5 feet). Its leaves are also very big. People have planted it in many parts of the world as an ornamental plant, which means it's grown for its beauty. However, in some places like New Zealand, Great Britain, and Ireland, it has spread from gardens. It is now causing problems as a weed.
Contents
What is Giant Rhubarb?
Plant Description
Gunnera tinctoria is a huge plant that grows in clumps. It has very large leaves that can be up to 2.5 meters (about 8 feet) wide. These leaves are heart-shaped and have up to nine lobes, like fingers on a hand.
From spring to early summer, the plant grows tall, cone-shaped flower stalks. These stalks can reach up to 1 meter (about 3 feet) high and have many small flowers. After the flowers, the plant produces orange fruits. One plant can make a huge number of seeds, sometimes up to 250,000!
Where Does It Grow?
In its natural home, you can often find giant rhubarb growing along streams and roadsides.
How People Use Giant Rhubarb
In Chile, this plant is called nalca or pangue. People use its stalks in a similar way to how we use regular rhubarb. They eat the stalks fresh, or they cook them to make jam or a sweet drink called cordial. The large leaves are also used in a traditional Chilean dish called curanto. For this dish, the leaves help to cover and cook food in a pit in the ground.
Giant Rhubarb as an Invasive Plant
What is an Invasive Species?
An invasive species is a plant or animal that is brought to a new place and then spreads very quickly. It can harm the local environment and other native plants and animals.
Where It Causes Problems
In some parts of New Zealand, Chilean rhubarb has become a serious pest plant. For example, in the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island, it has spread into riverbeds, along coastal cliffs, and into forest edges.
Because it causes problems, Gunnera tinctoria is on the National Pest Plant Accord list in New Zealand. This means it is against the law to grow, sell, or spread it on purpose. In Great Britain, it has also become common in western areas and is spreading. In western Ireland, especially on Achill Island and the Corraun Peninsula in County Mayo, it is a major invasive species. Its huge leaves create a lot of shade, which stops other native plants from growing.
The European Union also lists Chilean rhubarb as an invasive species. This means it is illegal to bring it into the EU, grow it, or sell it there.
Similar Plants
There is another similar plant called Gunnera manicata, which is known as Brazilian giant rhubarb. This species can also become invasive in new areas.
Giant Rhubarb in Popular Culture
In October 2019, some funny photos started appearing online in Chile. They showed a street vendor in Puerto Montt wearing huge nalca leaves like a costume. People started calling him "Nalcaman." These photos became popular around the same time that big protests against the government began in Chile. Because of this, Nalcaman became a symbol of the protests.
Images for kids
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Chilean rhubarb on sale at a street in Puerto Varas.
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Gunnera tinctoria - MHNT
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Nalcas at Cuesta Queulat in Queulat National Park, Chile
See also
In Spanish: Nalca para niños
