Phil Bendle Collection:Stilbocarpa polaris (Macquarie Island cabbage)

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Araliaceae
Subfamily: Aralioideae
Genus: Stilbocarpa
Species: S. polaris
Binomial name: Stilbocarpa polaris
Synonyms: Aralia polaris
Common name: Macquarie Island cabbage

Stilbocarpa polaris is a large-leaved, perennial, flowering, endemic, native, megaherb. It native to the Auckland, Campbell, Antipodes and Macquarie subantarctic islands. 

Stilbocarpa polaris grows >2 in height and has unusually large, fleshy, kidney-shaped leaves that have irregular, toothed, lobule-like margins. The leaves surfaces are hairy. 
The 5 petaled flowers (5 mm diam) can be yellow or purple. They are arranged in compound umbels. The flowers are hermaphrodite (having both male and female organs). They have 5 sepals, 5 stamens and the ovary is below the petals.

Stilbocarpa polaris was used as a food source and a scurvy preventative by early explorers, sealers and castaways.
The long roots are saccharine and were used as sustenance for lengthened periods. The celery flavoured leaves and stems were also cooked.

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The strap-like leaves belong to Bulbinella rossi. commonly known as the Ross lily.  It is one of the subantarctic megaherbs

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information:https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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