The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Epilobium pubens

Etymology

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

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 pubens A.Rich.

Family

Onagraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

EPIPUB

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Epilobium pubens var. strictum Allan

Distribution

Endemic. Three Kings, North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands.

Habitat

Coastal to subalpine (1-1100 m a.s.l.) but mainly found in the coastal, lowland and lower montane zone. Favouring dry situations on rock outcrops, cliff faces, clay banks or similar semi-shaded to sunny habitats. Often under seral vegetation or under relatively open Kunzea ericoides (A.Rich.) Joy Thomps. s.l. dominated vegetation.

Features

Erect sparingly branched (up to 4 branches), slender perennial herb 150-700 mm tall; entire plant densely covered with erect glandular and eglandular hairs, the stems completely pubescent. Petiole 2-18 mm long, winged. Leaves opposite except in and near inflorescence where alternate; lateral veins prominent, 3-4 on each side of midrib; lamina 7-43 x 4-24 mm, dull green, narrowly obovate to broadly ovate, apex subacute to obtuse, base attentuate to rounded; margins serrulate, bearing 8-32 teeth. Inflorescence and flowers nodding. Pedicels 1-3 mm long. Ovaries 10-27 mm long, densely pubescent, with a fine covering of erect eglandular and glandular hairs. Floral tube 0.7-1.0 x 1.5-2.0 mm, internally glabrous or furnished with a few sparse hairs. Sepals 2.5-2.8 x 1.0-1.1 mm, not keeled, densely pubescent with mixtures of erect glandular/eglandular hairs. Petals 3.5-7.0 x 2.9-4.0 mm, white, notch 0.6-2.0 mm deep. Anthers 0.7-0.9 x 0.5-0.6 mm, yellow; filaments white, those of longer stamens 1.7-2.7 mm, shorter 0.8-1.2 mm. Style 2.0-2.8 mm, white, glabrous; stigma 1.5-2.6 x 0.6-0.8 mm, white, clavate. Capsule 2.9-5.3 mm long, densely covered with erect glandular and eglandular hairs; pedicel elongating to 15 mm long. Seeds 0.75-0.92 x 0.35-0.42 mm, dark brown, obovoid, papillose, coma 4-5 mm, detaching readily.

Similar Taxa

Allied to Epilobium astonii (Allan) Raven et Engelhorn from which it differs by its slender scarcely branched, rather than much larger, compact, bushy, growth habit; shorter sepals (2.5-2.8 cf. 5.0-6.5 mm) and petals (3.5-7.0 cf. 7.3-13.0 mm); and by being a much more widespread species, occupying varied substrates and habitats from the coast to upper montane forest and subalpine scrub, rather than being restricted to predominantly greywacke rock within the subalpine to alpine zone of the main axial ranges of the North Island.

Flowering

September - April

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

October - June

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed. Not particularly attractive and inclined to become invasive.

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).

This page last updated on 22 Sep 2014