Species

Epilobium elegans

Etymology

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

Common Name(s)

willowherb

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Data Deficient

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 elegans Petrie

Family

Onagraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

EPIELE

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Canterbury and Otago)

Habitat

Lowland to montane in short (Festuca, Poa and Rytidosperma) and tall (Chionochloa dominated) grass and tussock land. In open ground often amongst Raoulia mats. Also found within braided river beds.

Features

Perennial tufted herb. Stems simple to sparingly branched, slender 50-150 mm long, initially prostrate and rooting at nodes then ascending and becoming erect at tips; bifariously pubescent. Leaves opposite, crowded and overlapping in lower part, alternate within inflorescence portion of stem, sessile to subsessile; lamina 10-20 × 2-4 mm; light green, linear, narrow-elliptic to narrow-lanceolate, obtuse to subacute, membranous, glabrous, margins finely and obscurely denticulate or entire. Flowers erect, solitary or few, up to ± 8 mm diameter; sepals linear to very narrow-ovate; petals white, deeply lobed, ± 2× length of sepals. Capsules 20-30 mm long, reddish to pale brown, narrowed at apex, glabrous; pedicels elongated to 50 mm or more at maturity. Seeds smooth.

Similar Taxa

Allied to Epilobium tenuipes from which it differs by its longer (10-20 mm cf. 5-10 mm in E. tenuipes), slightly broader (2-4 mm cf. 1-3 mm in E. tenuipes) leaves, larger flowers (up to 8 mm diameter in E. elegans, up to 4 mm diameter in E. tenuipes), glabrous rather glabrous to finely puberulent longer capsules (20-30 mm cf. 15-25 mm long in E. tenuipes) and consistently smooth rather smooth or minutely reticulate seeds

Flowering

October - March

Fruiting

December - May

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and rooted pieces. Inclined to become weedy.

Threats

Not Threatened

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Minute pappate seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

Taxonomic Notes

Raven & Raven (1976) treat Epilobium elegans as part of the natural variation within their concept of Epilobium alsinoides subsp. tenuipes (Hook.f.) P.H.Raven et Engelhorn (which is treated here as a species - E. tenuipes Hook.f.). Species rank for E. elegans is preferred because this species is commonly found growing sympatrically with E. tenuipes from which it remains morphologically distinct. In this respect the species concepts of the late A.P. Druce are followed (Druce 1993).

Attribution

Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 September 2011. Description adapted from Allan (1961).

References and further reading

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I. Wellington, Government Printer

Druce, A.P. 1993: Indigenous vascular plants of New Zealand. Ninth Revision. Unpublished Checklist held at Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand.

Raven, P.H.; Raven, T.E. 1976: The genus Epilobium in Australasia. New Zealand DSIR Bulletin 216. Wellington, Government Printer.

Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309

 

This page last updated on 14 Sep 2014