Species

Gentianella scopulorum

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)
scopulorum: Grows on cliffs

Common Name(s)

Charleston 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 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

Qualifiers

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

Authority

Gentianella scopulorum Glenny

Family

Gentianaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, west coast, near Charleston

Habitat

Coastal, on rock ledges and associated coastal turfs, often within spray zone

Features

Tufted perennial plant up to 130 mm tall when flowering. Flowering stems terminal and lateral, tinted crimson, 4-10 per plant. Rosette leaves with distinct petiole 19-30 mm long. Lamina orbicular 35-44 x 10-17.5 mm, green, not recurved, margin not thickened; apex rounded. Pedicels 1 per leaf axil, 1-16 mm long. Flowers 8-38 per plant, 12-15 mm long, perfect, rarely female. Calyx 6-8.2 mm, green; lobes 3.9-5.5 x 1.8-2.4 mm, plane. Corolla 9.5-14.8 mm, white, veins purple; tube 2.6-4.5 mm; lobes 9.6-10.5 x 3.3-5 mm, nectaries 0.7-1.2 mm from corolla base. Filaments 5-7.4 mm from corolla base. Anthers 1-1.5 mm, anther wall blue-black, mouth yellow, extrorse at anthesis. Stigma colourless. Ovules 16-30 per ovary. Capsule 10-11.8 mm.

Similar Taxa

Most closely allied to G. saxosa (G.Forst.) Holub from which it is distinguished by the orbicular leaves, plane calyx lobes, crimson flowering stems, purple corolla veins, and smaller anthers (1-1.5 cf. 2-2.1 mm). It is endemic to northern Westland, whereas G. saxosa occurs from Fiordland and Otago south to Stewart Island.

Flowering

(October-) November - February

Flower Colours

Violet / Purple,White

Fruiting

December - May

Propagation Technique

Easy to grow from seed. Does best in a sunny but cool and damp situation. One of the few New Zealand gentians to grow reasonably well in cultivation. Should not be removed from the wild

Threats

Threatened by rock climbing, human traffic (trampling), goats, weeds and habitat deterioration. Previously recorded as Gentiana aff. saxosa (AK 7316; Charleston) in de Lange et al., 2004, Threatened and uncommon plants on New Zealand, New Zealand Journal of Botany 42: 45-76.

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)

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

Comments

Under intensive management by the New Zealand Department of Conservation. New populations have been established near Westport. At one time less than 40 plants were known from the wild in two small sites.

Attribution

Fact Sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange (1 November 2004). Description based on Glenny (2004) (see also de Lange et al. 2010)

References and further reading

de Lange, P.J.; Heenan, P.B.; Norton, D.A.; Rolfe, J.R.; Sawyer, J.W.D. 2010: Threatened Plants of New Zealand. Christchurch, Canterbury University Press. 471pp.

Glenny, D. 2004: A revision of the genus Gentianella in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42: 361-530.

Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309

This page last updated on 12 Nov 2014