The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Gentianella grisebachii

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)
grisebachii: after Grisebach

Common Name(s)

forest Gentian, common 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 grisebachii (Hook.f.) T.N.Ho et S.W.Liu

Family

Gentianaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

GENGRI

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Gentiana grisebachii Hook.f., Gentiana montana f. grisebachii (Hook.f.) Kirk, Gentiana novae-zelandiae J.B.Armstr., Gentiana montana f. novaezelandiae (J.B.Armstr.) Kirk, Gentiana montana var. novae-zelandiae (J.B.Armstr.) Cheeseman, Gentiana matthewsii Petrie, Gentiana grisebachii var. matthewsii (Petrie) Cheeseman, Chionogentias grisebachii (Hook.f.) L.G.Adams, C. matthewsii (Petrie) L.G.Adams

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North (from Mt Pirongia and the Raukumara Ranges south), South and Stewart Islands.

Habitat

Usually montane to alpine but also lowland in southern part of range. Mainly present in moderately acid to acidic bogs, swamp forest, cloud forest, and poorly drained subalpine scrub, tussock grassland and rough pasture.

Features

Plants monocarpic, biennial, height in flower 40–290 mm. Caudex unbranched, 7–15 mm long. Root 1.4–4.0 mm diameter at stem base. Flowering stems terminal and lateral or lateral only, 2–8 per plant, largest flowering stem 0.6–2.7 mm diameter at base, stem green, tinted crimson-orange, or purple-black, lateral flowering stems erect or decumbent, flowering stem leaves 3–6 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near base of flowering stem to near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves absent from flowering plants, leaves narrowly elliptic or elliptic or ovate, 9.1–65.0 × 2.3–16.0 mm wide, green or tinted purple-black, flat or V-shaped, not recurved; apex acute or rounded; petiole distinct, 11–18 mm long, 0.7–3.6 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves elliptic, ovate to narrowly ovate. Flowers 3–49 per plant, 6.7–20.0 mm long. Pedicels 1 per leaf axil, 10–80 mm long (elongating after flowering to 17–85 mm), 0.5–1.4 mm diameter. Calyx 5.5–11.6 mm long, green, tinted purple-black at the apices, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present; lobes 4.2–7.8 mm long, 0.9–2.6 mm wide at base, plane, apices narrowly acute, margins smooth, sinus hairs absent or sparse. Corolla 6.4–16 mm long, white, occasionally with purple-grey tinting on the corolla lobes, veins uncoloured, purple or purple-grey; tube 1.5–3.8 mm long; lobes 4.9–12.5 × 2.1–8.6 mm wide, hairs below sinus absent or present; nectary 0.4–1.2 mm from corolla base. Filaments 3.6–8.6 mm long from corolla base, 0.3–1.1 mm wide. Anthers 0.5–3.4 mm long, anther wall blue-black, rarely pink, mouth yellow, pale orange or orange-red, extrorse, occasionally horizontal at anthesis; pollen yellow or pale orange. Stigma colourless. Ovules 23–72 per ovary. Capsule 7.2–20.0 mm long.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished by its usually small, slender stems and preference for moderately acidic to acidic bogs and other poorly drained, sparsely vegetated habitats. Although highly variable it is easily separated from other Gentianella its large number of gracile dark purple or bronze scapes, the pedicels which greatly elongate after flowering; by its narrowly triangular calyx lobes; and also (for most of its range) by its small flowers that scarcely open.

Flowering

January – May

Flower Colours

Violet / Purple,White

Fruiting

February - August

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