The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Gentianella gibbsii

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)
gibbsii: Named in honor of Frederick G Gibbs (1866-1953)

Common Name(s)

Mt Anglem Gentian, Gibbs 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 - OL
2009 - OL

Authority

Gentianella gibbsii (Petrie) T.N.Ho et S.W.Liu

Family

Gentianaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

GENGIB

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Gentiana gibbsii Petrie, Chionogentias gibbsii (Petrie) L.G.Adams

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: Stewart Island (Mt Anglem and Little Mt Anglem)

Habitat

Subalpine to alpine on poorly drained ground under low scrub or in open bogs and grasslands. Locally common.

Features

Plants monocarpic, biennial, height in flower 60–200 mm. Caudex unbranched, 10–25 mm long. Root c. 0.9 mm diameter at stem base. Flowering stems terminal only or terminal and lateral, 1–19 per plant, largest flowering stem 1.0–1.6 mm diameter at base, stem colour bronze, lateral flowering stems erect, flowering stem leaves 2–4 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from ½ up flowering stem or near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves present and distinct from flowering stem leaves, leaves elliptic, leaf apex acute, 13.0–22.0 × 3.6–7.0 mm wide, green, channelled, not recurved, petiole 7.3–14.5 mm long. Petiole 1.0–1.2 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves narrowly elliptic. Pedicels 1 per leaf axil, 4.5–60.0 mm long, 0.8–1.1 mm diameter. Flowers 1–28 per plant, 12.5–14.9 mm long. Calyx 9.5–14.7 mm long, bronze-green, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present; lobes 8.5–11.8 mm long, 1.7–2.0 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins smooth, sinus hairs sparse. Corolla 11.7–15.3 mm long, white; tube 3.0–3.5 mm long; lobes 8.8–12 mm long, 5.0–6.5 mm wide, apices acute and slightly serrated, hairs below sinus absent or present; nectary 1.7–2.0 mm from corolla base. Filaments 6.5–8.6 mm long from corolla base, 0.5–1.1 mm wide. Anthers 1.1–1.9 mm long, anther wall blue-black, mouth yellow, introrse at anthesis; pollen yellow. Stigma colourless. Ovules 36–49 per ovary. Capsule 15.3–27 mm long.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished from other Gentianella by the very long, narrowly triangular calyx lobes 8.5-12 mm long, and by the persistent rosette leaves on flowering plants. On Stewart Island G. gibbsii is sympatric with G. lineata from which it is distinguished by being biennial rather than being a polycarpic perennial; by its taller stature (plants 60–200 mm cf. 70–100 mm high), unbranched rather than branched caudex; and bronze colour rather than dark green with purple tinting stems and leaves.

Flowering

December – March

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

February – May

Propagation Technique

Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild

Threats

A Naturally Uncommon, range-restricted endemic which is confined to a small area within the subalpine and alpine vegetation of the Mt Anglem Nature Reserve. There it is locally abundant, and there are no known threats.

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