Gunnera magnifica, commonly called hoja de pantano, is a large herbaceous shrub or tree-like plant native to the montane rainforests of the Colombian Andes in Caldas Province. It can grow as high as 4.7abbr=offNaNabbr=off The lower trunk is decumbent and rhizomatous, while the upper trunk is upright and palm-like. This pachycaul trunk is up to 40cm (20inches) thick. At the top is a rosette of huge leaves, the blade, or lamina of which is up to 115cm (45inches) long by up to 184 cm (six feet) in width. The stalk, or petiole is 2.4abbr=offNaNabbr=off in length and 8to in thickness. These huge leaves emerge from a bud up to 2feet long by up to 16inches wide; the largest leaf bud of any known plant. The panicle of red, dimerous (two sepals, two petals, two stamens, and a two styled pistel) flowers, panicle and pedicel combined, is up to 2.7abbr=offNaNabbr=off in height.[1] The bud scales covering the terminal bud are up to 39cm (15inches) in length by up to 7.5 cm (three inches) wide, the largest of any known plant.[2]