The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Gentianella corymbifera subsp. corymbifera

Etymology

Gentianella: Little Gentiana (named after Gentius, 6th century king of Illyria, who found the roots of the yellow gentian to have a healing effect on his malaria-stricken troops)
corymbifera: corymb-bearing

Common Name(s)

grassland Gentian, tall Gentian

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

Gentianella corymbifera (Kirk) Holub subsp. corymbifera

Family

Gentianaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

GNTCOR

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Gentiana corymbifera Kirk, Gentiana bellidifolia var. vacillata Kirk, Chionogentias corymbifera (Kirk) L.G.Adams, Gentiana pleurogynoides var. rigida Kirk, Gentiana bellidifolia var. vacillata Kirk

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago, mostly east of the Main Divide, and scarce in Otago)

Habitat

Montane to alpine. In short-tussock and tall-tussock grassland, rough pasture on hill slopes, within intermontane basins, along river terraces, and more rarely in ephemeral or permanent wetlands. Being unpalatable to livestock it is common in heavily browsed montane to alpine grasslands.

Features

Plants biennial, monocarpic rarely polycarpic, height in flower 60–470 mm. Caudex unbranched, 15–70 mm long. Root branched or unbranched, 1.3–11.3 mm diameter at stem base. Flowering stems terminal only or terminal and lateral with more slender lateral branches from among the rosette leaves, 1–9 per plant, terminal flowering stem 3.0–11.3 mm diameter at base, green, tinted crimson or purple-black, lateral flowering stems erect, internodes 2–6 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near base of flowering stem, halfway up flowering stem, or near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves present and distinct from flowering stem leaves, leaves narrowly elliptic to elliptic or ovate, leaf apex acute to rounded, 41.0–168.0 × 6.5–31 mm, sometimes tinted crimson or purple-black below or on the petiole, usually flat, sometimes V-shaped or channelled at the petiole, petiole indistinct, 10–40 mm long, 4.0–18.5 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves ovate, apex acute, sessile. Flowers 7–110 per plant, 14–23 mm long, rarely female. Pedicels 1–3 per leaf axil, 3–50 mm long, 0.9–1.5 mm diameter. Calyx 6.8–18 mm long, 2.7-4.0 mm wide at base, green or tinted purple-black, crimson, or bronze; lobes 2.9–11.3 × 2.7–6.8 mm, plane, apices acute, margins smooth or minutely denticulate, hairs at sinuses present or absent. Corolla 14.0–21.1 mm long, white, rarely flushed with pink; tube 2.5–12 mm long; lobes 7.5–15.5 × 5.1–10.2 mm, hairs below sinus present; nectary 0.7–1.5 mm from corolla base. Filaments 7.2–12.8 mm long from corolla base, 1.1–1.6 mm wide. Anthers 1.9–3.2 mm long, anther wall yellow or blue-black, mouth yellow, extrorse, rarely introrse at anthesis. Stigma colourless. Ovules 36–68 per ovary. Capsules 12–19 mm long.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished from other Gentianella by the very stout terminal flowering stem (3.0–11.3 mm diameter), which may bear up to 110 flowers; by the petiole of the rosette leaves which is very wide (4.0– 18.5 mm); and by the usually large, thick, fleshy, flat rosette leaves which often have a V-shaped petiole. Distinguished from subsp. gracilis by its monocarpic life form; by the terminal flowering stem 3.0–11.3 mm diameter when fresh; leaves 41–168 × 6.5–31 mm wide; calyx lobes 2.7–4.0 mm wide; corolla 14.0–21.1 mm long; and by the filaments 1.1–1.6 mm wide.

Flowering

December – March

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,White

Fruiting

February - May

Propagation Technique

Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 36

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Seeds dispersed by ballistic projection, wind and water (Thorsen et al., 2009)

This page last updated on 26 Sep 2014