I don't know either, but here it comes again (bioblitz part 1)

[ritaxis]

Well, I did go out to my favorite culvert for two hours and let me tell you, this biology gig is hard. I'll be blogging properly about it later in the week, but first I want to share with you the most amazing thing there:

I really don't know what it is. Do you?


These pictures don't express the enormity of the thing. Each mature leaf is as long as I am tall.





The flower spathes are much bigger than they look here, even in the picture with my hand. They are as long as my arm.





The plant has been there for years, steadily getting bigger. I just don't know what it is or where it came from. I'm tempted to call it alien, but it has terrestrial written all over it: every aspect of the thing, except its size, is quite "normal."

Comments

[momomom.livejournal.com]

All I can say is WOW!

ginormous plant

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

i think that's gunnera manicata (common name here is giant rhubarb).

Re: ginormous plant

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

Gunnera it certainly seems to be, though reading further I think it is tinctoria most likely, as manicata is even bigger.

I knew I'd get the answer if I asked!

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

I think pleonastic has the answer, but I just wanted to say that whatever it is, our neighbour has a clump of them. I've also seen some very spectacular mature specimen in an old Victorian garden not far from where I work.

[julesjones]

Certainly looks like a gunnera to me.

[towse.livejournal.com]

Gunnera tinctoria, but you already found that out. The Strybing has some. Amazing plant.