Species

Epilobium margaretiae

Etymology

Epilobium: From the Greek epi- 'upon' and lobos 'a pod', the flowers appearing to be growing on the seed pod.

Common Name(s)

Willowherb

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, Sp

Authority

Epilobium margaretiae Brockie

Family

Onagraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, Nelson where it known from Kahurangi National Park (mt Arthur, Mt Peel, The Iron Hills) and in the east from the Travers and Byrant Ranges and the Mole Tops

Habitat

High alpine (1300-1700 m a.s.l.) confined to steep ridge lines and crests where it grows in open, metamorphic rock rubble and fell field.

Features

Creeping, glabrous perennial herb. Stems reddish 20-150 mm long, branching and rooting at nodes; dry leaves long persistent. Leaves crowded on stems, opposite, succulent, secund, glossy; lateral veins 1-3 each side of midrib, not evident when fresh; petiole 0-2(-10) mm long; lamina 3-16 x 2-5 mm, dark green to red-green, oblanceolate, apex acute or obtuse, base attenuate, margins distantly serrulate, bearing 4-10 teeth. Flowers borne in leaf axils, 2-4 per season, erect. Ovary 5-8 mm long, fleshy, reddish, glossy; pedicels 10 mm long at flowering often elongating slightly in fruit. Floral tube 3.0-5.0 x 1.3-3.0 mm, glabrous, holding much nectar. Sepals 3.5-6.2 x 1.4-1.5 mm, glabrous, weakly keeled. Petals white, 7.0-9.0 x 3.5-4.6 mm, apices notched, notch 1.4-2.7 mm deep. Anthers 1.0-1.2, yellow; filaments of longer stamens 2.7-7.4 mm long, those of shorter 1.3-4.0 mm long. Style 5.5-8.0 mm, white; stigma 0.6-1.5 x 0.3-0.9 mm, white, narrowly clavate. Capsules weakly falcate, 10-20 mm long, rather stout and glabrous. Seeds 1.5 x 0.6 mm, brown, smooth, coma 4-6 mm long, white, detaching readily.

Similar Taxa

A distinctive species easily separated from other New Zealand epilobia by consistently opposite leaves and the very long floral tube (3-5 mm deep).

Flowering

December - January

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

January - March

Propagation Technique

Difficult - should not be removed from the wild

Threats

Not threatened. Listed because it is a narrow range endemic of limited geographic extent. It is regarded as common in the few places from which it has been recorded.

Chromosome No.

2n = 36

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Minute pappate seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).

Where To Buy

Not commercially available.


Attribution

Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 6 January 2008. Description adapted from Raven & Raven (1976) and Webb & Simpson (2001).

References and further reading

Raven, P.H.; Raven, T.E. 1976: The genus Epilobium in Australasia. New Zealand DSIR Bulletin 216. Wellington, Government Printer.

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

Webb, C.J.; Simpson, M.J.A. 2011: Seeds of New Zealand Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Christchurch, Manuka Press.

This page last updated on 16 Sep 2014