Gunnera (English spelling)

Japanese: グンネラ（英語表記）Gunnera

A perennial herb of the family Gunneraceae, widely distributed in the tropics, including species with huge basal leaves similar to butterbur (illustration). The genus Gunnera has about 30 species, and is also known for its isolated distribution. The leaves are ovate to circular or reniform with a heart-shaped base, and sometimes palmately lobed, on the basal petioles. The flowers are dioecious, small, green, and grow in clusters or spikes in the inflorescences that arise from the base of the petioles. Large species range from those with petiole heights of over 2m and leaf blades of 3m, such as Akitabuki, to those that grow to only about 10cm in height and grow like a carpet.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

フキに似た巨大な根生葉を展開する種を含み，熱帯に広く分布するアリノトウグサ科の多年草（イラスト）。グンネラ属は約30種あり，それらが隔離的な分布をすることでも有名。　根生する葉柄に，卵形から円形や円腎形で基部は心形となる葉をつけ，時には掌状に切れこむ。花は雌雄異花で，小型，緑色をおび，葉柄基部から生じる花序に，多数が穂状あるいは総状に密集してつく。大型の種ではアキタブキのように葉柄の高さ2m以上，葉身3mに達するものから，高さ10cmほどにしかならず，カーペット状に生育するものまである。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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