The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Gentianella patula

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)
patula: spreading

Common Name(s)

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 patula (Kirk) Holub

Family

Gentianaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

GENPAT

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Gentiana patula (Kirk) Cheeseman, Chionogentias patula (Kirk) L.G.Adams

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury)

Habitat

Subalpine or montane in Valley floor and high alpine tussock and other grasslands, in herbfields, on alluvial fans, and along the margins of subalpine scrub margins

Features

Plants biennial and monocarpic, or polycarpic, height in flower 60–370 mm. Root 2.7–6.3 mm diameter at stem base. Caudex unbranched or branched, 25–70 mm long; stolons absent. Flowering stems terminal and lateral, 1–36 per plant, largest flowering stem 1.1–3.6 mm diameter at base, tinted crimson to purple-black, lateral flowering stems decumbent or erect, flowering stem leaves 3–5 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves distinct from flowering stem leaves, leaves elliptic, 18–44 × 3.5–9.0 mm, green, flat or V-shaped, recurved or not; leaf apex acute; petiole distinct, 10–29 mm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves ovate, apex acute, base clasping, V-shaped strongly. Pedicels 1 or 2 per leaf axil, 9–35 mm long, 0.8–1.0 mm diameter. Flowers (3–)40–86(–126) per plant, 10–15 mm long. Calyx 5.1–8.5 mm long, green or green tinted purple-black, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present; lobes 3.4–6.0 mm long, 1.8–2.6 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins smooth, sinus hairs sparse. Corolla 5.9–16 mm long, white or tinted pink or purple, veins uncoloured or purple; tube 3.0–3.5 mm long; lobes 9.0–11.4 × 5.5–8.0 mm, hairs below sinus present; nectary 0.3–0.8 mm from corolla base. Filaments 4.5–8.8 mm long from corolla base, 0.7–1.0 mm wide. Anthers 1.7–2.4 mm long, anther wall blue-black, mouth yellow or orange-red, extrorse at anthesis or horizontal at anthesis. Stigma colourless or grey-violet. Ovules 24–44 per ovary. Capsule 12–15 mm long.

Similar Taxa

Most closely related to Gentianella montana from which it is distinguished smaller overall stature; larger number of flowering stems, yet smaller flowers. Most G. montana populations have white flowers without coloured veins, whereas high altitude populations of G. patula have white flowers lower altitude populations flowers with coloured corolla veins

Flowering

December – May

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,White

Fruiting

February - June

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