Species

Epilobium wilsonii

Etymology

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

Common Name(s)

Wilsons 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 wilsonii Cheeseman

Family

Onagraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

EPIWIL

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Epilobium chlorifolium var. kaikourense Cockayne, Epilobium wilsonii var. pallidum G.Simpson et J.S.Thomson

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, eastern Marlborough (from near Lake Grassmere to Mt Fyffe and the Kaikoura Peninsula) and north Canterbury (Waikari River, Mt Terako and Motunau Beach). Also on the Owen Range, Kahurangi National Park, north west Nelson

Habitat

Coastal to alpine (0-1200 m a.s.l.) on calcareous rocks in open shrubland, grassland or rock field

Features

Clump forming perennial herb of calcareous rocks. Branching freely from base and also above; stems 60-300 mm tall, wiry and pliant; usually purplish sometimes green with broad lines of non glandular appressed or erect hairs running down from the margins of the petioles, pubescent otherwise and this increasing and including larger numbers of glandular hairs within the inflorescence. Leaves opposite, alternate in inflorescence, coriaceous; petiole 1-3 mm long; leaf lamina 10-40 x 6-20 mm, dull grey green to green, ovate to broadly ovate, apex acute, base attentuate to rounded, margins serrulate (bearing 4-8 teeth) or entire; lateral veins obscure. Inflorescence and flowers erect to nodding. Ovaries 10-24 mm long, sparsely pubescent or covered with erect non glandular hairs, sometimes glabrous, sessile or on pedicels up to 4 mm long. Floral tube 1.8-2.5 x 2.0-3.0 mm. Sepals keeled, 5.0-10.5 x 1.5-3.0 mm, sparsely glandular-pubescent or bearing erect non-glandular hairs. Petals 10-18 x 6-15 mm, white or pink, notch 3-5 mm deep. Anthers 1.6-2.2 x 0.6-1.0 mm, yellow; filaments of the longer stamens 1.5-8.0 mm long, those of shorter 0.9-5.5 mm long. Style 4.5-14.0 mm, white; stigma 2.2-3.8 x 1.2-2.0 mm, white, capitate to short-capitate. Capsule 19-55 mm long on pedicels 7-15 mm long; surface glandular-pubescent or bearing erect non-glandular hairs, occasionally glabrous. Seeds 1.4-2.2 x 0.5-0.6 mm, brown, narrowly obovoid, finely papillose; coma 5-6 mm long, detaching readily or persistent.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished from other indigenous epliobia by the thick, coriaceous, often entire, ovate leaves, wiry stems; flowers with white to pink-flushed petals, and by the sepals which are 5.0-10.5 mm long. It is one of only a few species endemic to calcareous substrates.

Flowering

November - April

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,White

Fruiting

November - June

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and rooted pieces. Does well in a free draining soil in full sun. Inclined to become weedy.

Threats

Not threatened. Listed because it has a rather localised distribution centred on the limestone country of eastern Marlbrough and north Canterbury. However, its disjunct occurrence on the Owen massif, north west Nelson, and diffuse distribution within Marlborough and Canterbury suggests that it would be better ranked as Sparse.

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 22 Sep 2014