The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Gentianella impressinervia

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)

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 impressinervia Glenny

Family

Gentianaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

GENIMP

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

None (described in 2004)

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (north-western Nelson, North Westland, Canterbury)

Habitat

Alpine in tall- and short-tussock grasslands developed on ridge lines and hill slopes, also in herbfield.

Features

Plants polycarpic, height in flower 160–600 mm. Caudex branched, 65–300 mm long, leaf scars conspicuous, stolons usually present. Root 2.9–4.5 mm diameter at stem base. Flowering stems terminal and lateral, 4–6 per plant, largest flowering stem 2.5–5.5 mm diameter at base, stem colour tinted crimson, brown, or bronze, lateral flowering stems erect, flowering stem leaves 2–7 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from ½ up flowering stem or near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves not distinct or distinct from flowering stem leaves; leaves elliptic or obovate, 18–61 mm long, 7.9–21.0 mm wide, green or tinted crimson below, or slightly bronze-tinted, glossy, flat or slightly V-shaped, recurved or not, with lateral veins impressed on upper leaf surface; leaf apex apiculate or rounded; petiole absent or indistinct, 3.5–5.5 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves ovate or obovate as for rosette leaves but sessile and almost amplexicaul, c.19 × 12 mm. Pedicels 1-2 per leaf axil, 12–35 mm long, 1.1–1.4 mm diameter Flowers 6–42 per plant, 19–24 mm long, rarely female. Calyx 7.9–12.7 mm long, green, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present; lobes 6.6–9.4 × 2.9–3.7 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins smooth, sinus hairs absent, sparse, or abundant. Corolla 1624 mm long; tube yellow or yellow-green, 4.6–7.2 mm long; lobes white with veins uncoloured, 11.3–18.1 × 7.5–12.5 mm, hairs below sinus present; nectary 1.2–2.2 mm from corolla base, dark yellow. Filaments 9.0–11.5 mm long from corolla base, 1.2–1.7 mm wide. Anthers 2.8–3.9 mm long, anther wall bluish purple, mouth yellow, extrorse at anthesis; pollen yellow. Stigma colourless. Ovules 44–84 per ovary, ovary yellow in maturity. Capsule 20–23 mm long.

Similar Taxa

Recognised by its height (350–600 mm); much branched robust caudex with a rosette of leaves at the base of each flowering stem; by the thick, broadly elliptic to obovate leaves with apiculate or rounded apices and glossy upper surface, with three impressed veins on the upper surface; the large fl owers (c.21–24 mm long), and the large anthers (2.8–3.9 mm long). Superficially similar to G. montana with which it often grows and from which it differs having a yellow corolla tube.

Flowering

February – March

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

March - May

Propagation Technique

Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.

Threats

Not Threatened

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