Gunnera insignis | endemiccostarica

Poorman's Umbrella - Gunnera insignis

The compelling plant is viewed with a thick stem, (around 12in or 30cm) leading to its renown overbearing, rought, heart-shaped leaves. These leaves can grow around 5 feet, providing an "umbrella" for the organisms under it.
These leaves have acquired the adaptation of "drip" leaves which prevents water from collecting, encouraging the growth of molds and fungi.
There are small flowers on this wonderous plant, as the plants provide branches reaching almost 3ft (1m) in length.

Flower blooming from Poorman's Umbrella plant.

Living in the tropical rainforest, these plants perfer a habit ranging from elevations of 3,250ft and 8,500ft (1,000 and 2,600m). In these elevations, the plant prefers wet forests, in openareas or bare ridgelines.
Although the plant is occasionally found in areas of the United States, it requires abundant amounts of watering to simulate its preferred environment.
Little is known about how this plant spreads its population (by seeds) but there is an educated guess that it is wind pollinated.

Due to the depleted amounts of topsoil in the Costa Rican rainforest, Poorman's Umbrella has adapted and adopted a mutualis relation ship with a bacteria (Nostoc punctiforme). The bacteria gives the plant nitrogen, and in return, Poorman's Umbrella gives the bacteria nutrients.

The small, single-seeded fruit of Poorman's Umbrella.