Gunnera tinctoria (Molina) Mirb.

Giant, clump-forming, gynomonoecious, summergreen herb, with short, stout, horizontal rhizomes. Winter resting buds massive, to c. 25 cm long; scales pinnatisect with pinkish laciniate lobes extending to the broad green midrib. Lvs to c. 2.5 m high, rhubarb-like. Petiole to 100 × 2.5-4.5 cm, studded with conic, short, often reddish, prickles. Lamina to c. 80 × 100 cm, suborbicular, palmately 5-7-lobed to nearly ⅓ radius, somewhat rugose and scabrid above; veins sparingly hairy beneath, prominently raised, the main veins with soft prickles. Infl. paniculate, to 1 m long at fruiting; main axis 3-4.5 cm diam.; infl. branches 4-7 cm × 5-7 mm in central part of panicle. Fls dense, sessile, apetalous; ♀ c. 1 mm long. Sepals minute. Styles slightly < ovary. Drupes 1.5-2 mm long, subglobose or broad-oblong, orange. Seed 1-1.3 mm diam., acutely angled.

A temperate plant. They need plenty of moisture. They can tolerate frost and snow. It grows along riverbanks. It grows with its roots in water. It can grow in shade. In Chile it grows from sea level to 2,000 m altitude. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,000 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 7-9.

The leaf stalks are used as an ingredient in sweet meats and for making preserves. The leaf stalk is peeled and eaten as a vegetable. It is also used in confectionary.

Plants can be grown from fresh seed. These are planted onto waterlogged soil.