The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Gentianella lineata

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)
lineata: Linear, striped with a parallel line (plumb line)

Current Conservation Status

2018 - At Risk - Relict

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

2012 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2009 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Sparse

Qualifiers

2012 - Sp

Authority

Gentianella lineata (Kirk) T.N.Ho et S.W.Liu

Family

Gentianaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

GENLIN

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Gentiana lineata Kirk, Gentiana verecunda G.Simpson, Chionogentias lineata (Kirk) L.G.Adams, Oreophylax lineatus (Kirk) Á.Löve nom. inval.

Distribution

Endemic. South and Stewart Islands from Otago (Lammerlaw Range, Blue mountains and Ajax Bog) south to Southland and Fiordland. On Stewart Island it ranges from the northwest south to the Tin Range and also on the south western Titi Islands

Habitat

A species of coastal to alpine habitats (0 - 1300 m a.s.l.) frequenting coastal bogs, subalpine forest and scrub, alpine tussock grasslands, or within Schoenus dominated bogs and mires.

Features

Polycarpic herb 30-180 mm tall when flowering. Branched from base, stoloniferous or not. Flowering stems terminal and lateral 1-18 per plant, tinged purple-black, lateral flowering stems erect or decumbent, flowering stem leaves 0-1 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near base of flowering stem to near apex of flowering stem. Petiole indistinct to distinct 4.5-10.4 x 0.5-0.8 mm at leat base. Rosette of leaves absent or present and distinct from flowering stem leaves, basal leaves 11-16 x 1.2-3 mm, green to purple-green above, green, tinted crimson or purple black below, narrowly elliptic or elliptic, leaf apex acute, lamina flat not recurved. Flowering stems ebracteate or rarely with 1 pair. Pedicels 10-75 mm long (elongating after flowering to 30-120 mm), 0.5-0.8 mm diameter. Flowers 1-18 per plant, 7.7-10 mm long. Calyx 6.4-9 mm long, green tinged purple-black, hairs at calyx-corolla fusion linear absent or sparse; lobes 4.9-7 x 1.1-1.7 mm, plane, apices acute, margins smooth, sinus hairs absent. Corolla 4.6-10.5, white, veins uncoloured; tube 1.1-2.9 mm, lobes 3.7-8.1 x 2-4.6 mm, hairs below sinus absent; nectary 0.5-0.6 mm from corolla base. Filaments 2.4-6 x 0.35-0.45 mm, arising from corolla base. Anthers 0.8-1.5 mm long, anther wall blue-black, mouth yellow, introrse at anthesis; pollen yellow. Stigma colourless. Ovules 40-56 per ovary, ovary yellow in maturity. Capsule 7.3-14.2 mm long.

Similar Taxa

A distinctive small species recognised by the branched stem base, numerous flowering stems which usually lack bracts, solitary flowers, and small, narrow leaves. It is most likely to be confused with G. grisebachii (Hook.f.) T.N.Ho in Ho & Liu, which has similar long, narrowly acute calyx lobes but the flowering stems of G. grisebachii possess leafy bracts below each flower, while G. lineata invariably has none.

Flowering

November - January

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

January - April

Propagation Technique

Difficult - should not be removed from the wild

Threats

A widespread and at times locally common but more usually sparse species. It does not appear to be threatened and virtually all of its known habitats are within part of the conservation estate.

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