Darmera

Scientific name

Darmera Voss

Common names

umbrella plant, Indian rhubarb

Family

Saxifragaceae

Similar genera

Gunnera

Native distribution

western North America

Species cultivated

Darmera peltata (Torr. ex Benth.) Voss

Adventive distribution

introduced to Europe

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

large and distinctive, rhizomatousrhizomatous:
(adj) possessing rhizomes
, amphibiousamphibious:
(adj) of a plant able to live on land or in water
to emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
herb

Brief description

Perennial; rhizomatousrhizomatous:
(adj) possessing rhizomes
. Leaves large, basalbasal:
(adj) at or pertaining to the base, or point of attachment
, emerging after bloom; petiolatepetiolate:
(adj) relating to or in the form of a petiole; bearing petioles
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
peltate, ± orbicularorbicular:
(adj) circular in outline
, deeply lobedlobed:
(adj) divided into (usually rounded) segments
; margins irregularly toothed; venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
palmatepalmate:
(adj) (of leaves or venation) with lobes, leaflets, divisions or veins originating from the same point
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a terminalterminal:
(adj) at the apex
corymbcorymb:
(n) a flat-topped or round-topped racemose inflorescence
; scapescape:
(n) a leafless flowering stalk arising from ground level in acaulescent plants
sparsely stipitate-glandular. Flowers actinomorphicactinomorphic:
(adj) of flowers, having radial symmetry; capable of being bisected into identifical halves along more than one axis
, bisexualbisexual:
(adj) having both male and female sexual reproductive structures on one individual or in one flower
; pedicellatepedicellate:
(adj) borne on a pedicel
; sepals 5, reflexedreflexed:
(adj) abruptly curved or bent downward
, rounded to oblongoblong:
(adj) two to four times longer than wide, with +/- parallel sides
; petals 5, broadly ellipticelliptic:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
to obovateobovate:
(adj) ovate, with the narrow end at the base
, white to pink.

Natural habitat

rocky stream banks frequently along montane watercourses

Additional comments

Darmera peltata, the only species in the genus, was previously known as Peltiphyllum peltatum. A common species along montane rivers and streams in its native distribution, flowering occurs in late winter or early spring, often emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
during higher snowmelt water flow. Foliage is produced later in spring and summer when water levels are lower.