The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Gentianella calcis subsp. calcis

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)

Awahokomo Gentian

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

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 - Threatened - Nationally Critical
2004 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2012 - CD, EF, OL
2009 - CD, EF, OL

Authority

Gentianella calcis Glenny et Molloy subsp. calcis

Family

Gentianaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, two sites in the Waitaki Valley

Habitat

A limestone endemic confined to limestone bluffs, where it grows in rock joints, crevices, associated rendzina soils, limestone talus and associated colluvium. Usually in bare or sparsely vegetated sites

Features

Perennial tufted herb partially dying back to root-stock in winter. Rosette leaves without obvious petiole; linear 68-83 mm long, 2.6-4.1 mm wide, green to purple-green, strongly V-shaped in cross-section, apex acute, recurved; margins minutely toothed or smooth. Cauline leaves, linear, somewhat recurved, usually smaller than rosette leaves. Flowering stems, purple-black, 1-5 per plant. Pedicels 3.5-14 mm long, 0.8-1 mm diam. Flowers 9-28(-78) per plant, 15-18 mm long. Calyx green, tinted purple black, 7.5-14 mm long; lobes 4.6-10 mm long, 1.9-2.5 mm wide at base. Corolla 13.5-17 mm long, veins colourless; tube 3.4-5 mm long; lobes 10-12 mm long, 6.2-9 mm wide, margins toothed; nectary 0.9-1.6 mm from corolla base, V-shaped to pocket-like. Filaments 6.5-8.5 mm long from corolla base, 0.6-0.9 mm wide. Anthers 1.9-3.1 mm long, extrorse at anthesis. Ovules 9-35 per ovary. Ovary becoming bluish-purple after flowering. Capsules 13-17.5 mm.

Similar Taxa

Closely allied to G. calcis subsp. manahune Glenny et Molloy, G. calcis subsp. waipara Glenny et Molloy, and G. calcis subsp. taiko Glenny et Molloy, from all of which it differs by the longer and wider rosette leaves, while it it differs from subsp. manahune by its colourless rather than purple corolla veins.

Flowering

(March-) April (-June)

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

(April-) August (-November)

Propagation Technique

Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.

Threats

At serious risk of extinction from the spread of weeds such as Hieraceum pilosella L., Dactylis glomerata L. and Sedum acre L., and because the population is so small natural disturbances caused by storms, slumping, rock and boulder fall.. Previously regarded (as Gentiana aff. astonii (c) (CHR 519113; Awahokomo)) as Range Restricted in de Lange et al. (2004).

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