The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Epilobium cinereum

Etymology

Epilobium: From the Greek epi- 'upon' and lobos 'a pod', the flowers appearing to be growing on the seed pod.
cinereum: ash-grey

Common Name(s)

willowherb

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Epilobium cinereum A.Rich.

Family

Onagraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

EPIBSC

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Epilobium billardiereanum subsp. cinereum (A.Rich.) P.H.Raven et Engelhorn

Distribution

Indigenous. New Zealand: North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands. Also Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania). Naturalised at least on the Hawaiian Islands if not elsewhere in the Pacific.

Habitat

Coastal to upper montane. In open habitats and around lake, river and ephemeral wetland margins. Often a prominent urban weed, especially in derelict properties, old car yards, and in car parks. In these habitats it often associates with Epilobium ciliatum, E. hirtigerum, E. tetragonum and Lachnagrostis filiformis.

Features

Erect, much branched perennial or annual herb 0.15-0.60 m tall, often reddish-tinged, not obviously stoloniferous; plants strigulose, inflorescence, densely so, hairs comprising an admixture of glandular or non-glandular erect hairs often also present, the stems pubescent all round, conspicuously exfoliating and often somewhat woody near the base. Leaves mostly opposite alternate alternate in the upper half, grey-green, often tinged reddish, densely strigulose, the lateral veins visible to prominent, usually 3-5 on each side of the midrib; lamina 5.0-23.0 × 1.5-7.0 mm, linear to narrowly elliptic, apex subacute to acute or obtuse, base attenuate, margins coarsely serrate, bearing 1-8 teeth on each side, shortly pedunculate or subsessile. Inflorescence erect. Flowers erect. Ovary 10-24 mm long, on a pedicel 0-15 mm long, investiture usually densely though finely strigulose with an admixture of white or greyish-white, glandular or eglandular erect hairs. Floral tube 0.6-1.2 mm deep, 1.2-1.9 mm diameter, usually bearing a conspicuous ring of long hairs within. Sepals 2.5-7.5 × 0.8-1.7 mm, keeled, strigulose, bearing glandular or eglandular hairs also. Petals 3.5-12.0 × 2.0-6.5 mm, the notch 0.8-1.5 mm deep, rose-purple (very rarely white). Stamen filaments white of two types: long 1.5-5.0 mm long and short 1.0-4.5 mm. Anthers cream, 0.5-1.0 × 0.3-0.52 mm. Style 2.5-9.0 mm long, white. Stigma 1.5-4.0 × 0.9-1.5 mm, white, clavate, surrounded by (very rarely held well above) the anthers at anthesis. Capsule 30-68 mm long, densely strigulose, indumentum comprising an admixture of glandular and eglandular erect hairs; pedicel 6-20 mm long. Seeds 0.8-1.0 × 0.3-0.4 mm, brown, reticulate-mammilate to reticulate-papillose, obovoid, chalazal callus absent, apex rounded (not beaked); coma 7.0-10.5 mm long, white, breaking off readily.

Similar Taxa

Epilobium cinereum is easily distinguished from all other epilobia except the threatened E. hirtigerum on account of its upright, heavily branched growth habit, finely puberulent, greyish (often red-tinged) stems, foliage, pedicels and capsules, and dark rose-purple flowers which open widely at anthesis. Epilobium hirtigerum is usuall;y easily distinguished from E. cinereum on account of its larger overall size, glabrous stoloniferous winter growth habit, and by the stem hairs which in E. hirtigerum are in mixtures of long, spreading eglandular, shorter glandular and strigulose hairs. In the North Island at least, E. hirtigerum is further distinguished by its smaller, consistently white flowers which scarcely open.

Flowering

September - May

Flower Colours

Red / Pink

Fruiting

October - July

Propagation Technique

Very weedy and probably best not cultivated as it is inclined to spread rapidly. Epilobium cinereum is a common urban weed in many cities and towns of eastern New Zealand

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 36

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 3 Jan 2020