The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Gentianella spenceri

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)

Common Name(s)

Spencers 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 spenceri (Kirk) T.N.Ho et S.W.Liu

Family

Gentianaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

GENSPE

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Gentiana spenceri Kirk, Chionogentias spenceri (Kirk) L.G.Adams

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (from Nelson through Westland to about the Whitcombe River)

Habitat

Subalpine Nothofagus forest and associated scrub, forest clearings in such forest, and along ridges

Features

Plants monocarpic, biennial, height in flower 85–270 mm. Caudex unbranched, 20–100 mm long, stolons absent. Root 2.0–3.1 mm diameter at stem base. Flowering stems terminal and lateral, 1–7 per plant, largest flowering stem 2.0–3.3 mm diameter at base, 1.9–2.7 mm diameter when dry, green or tinted crimson, lateral flowering stems erect, flowering stem leaves 1–3 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near base of flowering stem or halfway up flowering stem. Rosette of leaves present and distinct from flowering stem leaves, leaves elliptic, orbicular, obovate, or ovate, 25.0–93.0 × 13.0–22.0 mm, green or tinted crimson below or tinted purple-black, flat or with petiole v-shaped, sometimes very shallowly 2- or 3-lobed, sometimes recurved at the apex, leaf apex usually rounded, occasionally acute or retuse, petiole absent to distinct, 15.0–53.0 × 2.0–5.8 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves orbicular with shorter petioles than rosette leaves or sessile. Pedicels 1 or 2 per leaf axil, 1.5–10.0 × 1.0–1.2 mm diameter, 0.4–0.7 mm diameter when dry. Flowers 3–33 per plant, 9.0–16 mm long. Calyx 6.0-11.0 mm long, green, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line absent or present; lobes 5.3–9.3 × 1.4–2.1 mm, plane, apices acute, margins smooth or minutely denticulate, sinus hairs absent or sparse. Corolla 9.3–14 mm long, white, sometimes tinted on outside of corolla lobes, veins usually coloured purple or crimson, rarely uncoloured; tube 2.5–4.1 mm long; lobes 5.4–9.9 × 3.2–4.4 mm wide, hairs below sinus absent or present; nectary 0.8–2.0 mm from corolla base. Filaments 5.9–8.0 mm long from corolla base, 0.6–0.7 mm wide. Anthers 1.1–1.3 mm long, anther wall dark red, mouth orange-red, extrorse at anthesis, pollen dull pink. Stigma crimson. Ovules 4–33 per ovary. Capsules 6.2–12.0 mm long.

Similar Taxa

G. spenceri are its orbicular leaves with apex rounded, and often with a very slight lobing of the leaf, the unbranched caudex with a single basal rosette of leaves, the short pedicels (1.5–10 mm long), the few pairs of flowering stem leaves (1–3 pairs), the smaller late flowers arising from low on the plant, the pandurate calyx lobes, and the purple corolla veins

Flowering

December – March

Flower Colours

Violet / Purple,White

Fruiting

January - June

Propagation Technique

Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild

Threats

Not Threatened

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 21 Nov 2013