The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Gentianella corymbifera subsp. gracilis

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
gracilis: slender

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 subsp. gracilis Glenny

Family

Gentianaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

None (described in 2004)

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (East of the Main Divide from mid Canterbury to Southland)

Habitat

Montane to alpine. In modified short-tussock and tall-tussock grasslands, within intermontane basins, on moraine downs, outwash terraces, and lower hillslopes. Also on schist and limestone rock outcrops near creeks

Features

Plants biennial, rarely perennial, height in flower 90–370 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, 1–7 per plant, terminal flowering stem 1.3–7.0 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, 15.0–127.0 × 5.0–11.3 mm, sometimes tinted crimson or purple-black below or on the petiole, usually flat, sometimes V-shaped or channelled at the petiole, petiole 10–40 mm long, 1.5–5.2 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves ovate, apex acute, sessile. Flowers 7–110 per plant, 11–23 mm long, rarely female. Pedicels 1–2 per leaf axil, 10–30 mm long, 0.64–1.1 mm diameter. Calyx 5.2–8.5 mm long, green or tinted purple-black, crimson, or bronze; lobes 2.9–4.4 × 1.7–2.8 mm, plane, apices acute, margins smooth or minutely denticulate, hairs at sinuses present or absent. Corolla 11.0–15.3 mm long, white, rarely pale violet or with veins violet; 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 6.4–9.2 mm long from corolla base, 1.5–2.7 mm wide. Anthers 1.5–3.2 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 subsp. corymbifera by its usually biennial life form; by the terminal flowering stem 1.3–7.0 mm cf. 3.0–11.3 mm diameter when fresh; leaves 15–127 × 5.0–11.3 mm cf. 41–168 × 6.5–31 mm wide; calyx lobes 1.7–2.8 mm cf. 2.7–4.0 mm wide; corolla 11.0–15.3 mm cf. 14.0–21.1 mm long; and by the filaments 0.6–1.2 mm cf. 1.1–1.6 mm wide.

Flowering

December – April

Flower Colours

Violet / Purple,White

Fruiting

February – 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 10 Aug 2014