The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Gentianella antarctica

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)
antarctica: Antarctic

Common Name(s)

Campbell Island 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 - IE, OL
2009 - OL, IE

Authority

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

Family

Gentianaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Gentiana antarctica Kirk, Gentiana antarctica var. imbricata Kirk, Gentiana concinna var. elongata Hook.f., Gentiana concinna var. robusta Hook.f., Chionogentias antarctica (Kirk) L.G.Adams, Oreophylax antarcticus (Kirk) Á.Löve nom. inval.

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: Campbell Island

Habitat

Coastal to alpine. Low forest, Chionochloa antarctica tussocklands and Poa litorosa grasslands, also present in Marsippospermum gracile sedgeland on summit fellfields

Features

Plants monocarpic, probably biennial, height in flower 16–220 mm. Caudex unbranched, 4–13 mm long. Root unbranched, c. 2 mm diam. At stem base. Flowering stems terminal only, largest flowering stem c. 2.5 mm diameter at base, stem colour green or tinted crimson, flowering stem leaves 4 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from halfway up flowering stem. Rosette of leaves distinct from flowering stem leaves, narrowly elliptic, 11.0–82.0 × 3.1–17.6 mm, green or tinted purple-black or bronze, flat, apex acute to rounded, not recurved or recurved at tips of smaller leaves; margins recurved, thickened; petiole absent or indistinct, c.5–11 mm long, 1.6–8.8 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves almost identical to rosette leaves but shorter and wider. Pedicels one or two per leaf axil, 1.6–4.5 mm long, c.0.5 mm diameter. Flowers 9–49 per plant, 7–12 mm long. Calyx 5.5–7.6 mm long, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present; lobes 4.0–5.9 mm long, 1.2–1.5 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins minutely denticulate, sinus hairs sparse or absent. Corolla 9.5–14.0 mm long, white or coloured pink to dark purple with veins colourless or pink to dark purple; tube 3.0–5.5 mm long; lobes 4.6–8.5 × 1.5–2.9 mm, hairs below sinus absent; nectary 1.6–3.4 mm from corolla base. Filaments 3.4–7.2 mm long from corolla base, 0.5–0.6 mm wide. Anthers 1.0–1.2 mm long, anther wall blue-black, rarely yellow, extrorse at anthesis. Stigma colour unknown. Ovules 7–27 per ovary. Capsule 8.0–13.2 mm long.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished from all other New Zealand species by the combination of its erect terminal flowering stem, its flowers on short pedicels, leaves with a thickened and recurved margin, corolla and calyx hairs absent from the sinuses, nectaries distant from the corolla base, and corolla lobes narrow and long.

Flowering

December – April

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,White

Fruiting

March - May

Propagation Technique

Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.

Threats

A Naturally Uncommon, range-restricted, island endemic. Abundant on the islands it is under no obvious threat. The Campbell Islands are administered as a Nature Reserve and are part of a World Heritage Park with access strictly controlled by the New Zealand Department of Conservation.

Chromosome No.

2n = 36

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 20 Nov 2013