Species

Epilobium microphyllum

Etymology

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

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 microphyllum A. Rich

Family

Onagraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

EPIMIC

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

Synonyms

Epilobium microphyllum var. prostratum Petrie

Distribution

Endemic: New Zealand: North, South and Chatham Islands. From about Kawhia and East Cape south, locally abundant around the Cook Strait region, thence mainly easterly in the South Island.

Habitat

Gravelly or shingly riverbeds, flats and outwash plains; sea level to 1,200m.

Features

Tufted, creeping herb with woody bases, and numerous ascending, wiry stems, (these branching from base) 120-150(-280) mm long. Stems purple-black or black (rarely pale brown), initially sprawling, bifariously pubescent, hairs, short ±. Leaves opposite, rarely alternate toward flowers, distant, on very short petioles; coriaceous, glabrous, adaxially; lamina usually broadly elliptic to rotund, rarely elliptic, sometimes oblong, ovate-oblong, ovate to obovate, 2-8 × 1-3 mm, dark green often with purple-red margins, abaxially usually purple-red, margins faintly denticulate or entire, apex mucronulate. Flowers 3-4 mm diameter; floral tube 0.4-0.6 mm deep, strigillose outside; petals white, 2.0-2.9 × 0.8-1.9 mm. Capsules with conspicuous bands of strigillose hairs along the lines of dehiscence, thus appearing striped light and dark, rarely strigillose all over, 0.9-2.2 cm long; fruiting pedicel 0.2-1.6 cm long. Seed smooth.

Similar Taxa

Other Epilobium species; particularly E. brunnescens from which it is easily distinguished by the purple-black, ascending, wiry stems, and dark purple-black, silvery striped fruiting capsules.

Flowering

December - February

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

October - March

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from rooted pieces and fresh seed. An attractive plant for an open spot, a rock garden, or as a pot plant. However, inclined to become invasive. Prone to powdery mildew in humid climates.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 36

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

 

 

References and further reading

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 16 Sep 2014