The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Gentianella stellata

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)
stellata: With spreading star-like rays,starry

Common Name(s)

Gentian

Current Conservation Status

2012 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon

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 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2012 - RR

Authority

Gentianella stellata Glenny

Family

Gentianaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

None (first described in 2004)

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Nelson DUrville Island, Bryant Range, Dun Mountain, Mt Starveall, Red Hills (Richmond Range)

Habitat

Montane Leptospermum scoparium and Lepidosperma australe shrubland and scrub on ultramafic soils

Features

Plants monocarpic, biennial, height in flower 180-730 mm. Caudex unbranched or branched with branches short, c. 30 mm long. Root 1.8–6.0 mm diameter at stem base. Flowering stems terminal only or terminal and lateral, 1–6 per plant, largest flowering stem 1.7–5.4 mm diam. at base, stem colour green or tinted crimson, purple-black, or bronze, lateral flowering stems erect when present, flowering stem leaves 3–6 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near base of flowering stem or halfway up flowering stem or near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves present and distinct from flowering stem leaves, leaves narrowly elliptic or elliptic, 12.0–100.0 × 3.7–19.0 mm wide, green or tinted crimson, purple-black, or bronze, flat or slightly to strongly channelled, recurved; leaf apex acute or rounded; petiole absent, leaf 2.9–5.7 mm wide at base. Flowering stem leaves similar to rosette leaves but smaller, ovate, strongly recurved and channelled. Pedicels 1 or 2 per leaf axil, 3–45 mm long (those from low on the flowering stem very long), 0.75–1.5 mm diameter. Flowers 11–59 per plant, 14–29 mm long. Calyx 6.0–13 mm long, green or crimson, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line absent or present; lobes 3.8–8.2 mm long, 1.5–3.0 mm wide at base, recurved, apices acute, margins smooth or minutely denticulate, sinus hairs few. Corolla (10–)13–23 mm long, white, veins uncoloured; tube 3.0–6.3 mm long; lobes 11.5–19 mm long, 6.3–9.5 mm wide, hairs below sinus few or absent; nectary 1.7–2.7 mm from corolla base. Filaments 5.9–10.6 mm long from corolla base, 0.6–1.2 mm wide. Anthers 1.7–3.1 mm long, anther wall yellow or blue-black, mouth yellow, extrorse at anthesis. Stigma colourless or slightly tinted blue. Ovules 18–68 per ovary, ovary turning purple in maturity. Capsule 11.5–21 mm long.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished by its restriction to ultramafic substrates, by the central flowering stem and unbranched caudex, and by the large white flowers with yellow anthers. The leaves are recurved and strongly channelled, thick in texture, as are the flowering stem leaves.

Flowering

March – August

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

April – September

Propagation Technique

Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild

Threats

A naturally uncommon, range restricted endemic which is sparse to locally abundant within its montane ultramafic rock habitat.

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