The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Gratiola pubescens

Etymology

Gratiola: little beauty

Common Name(s)

Hairy Brooklime

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Non Resident Native - Vagrant

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 - Non Resident Native - Vagrant
2004 - Non Resident Native - Vagrant

Qualifiers

2012 - SO
2009 - SO

Authority

Gratiola pubescens R.Br.

Family

Plantaginaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Indigenous. In New Zealand known only from the North Island, at Parkinsons Lake on the southern side of the Awhitu Peninsula. Common in Australia

Habitat

In New Zealand this species was collected once from the margin of a small dune lake where it grew in association with Gratiola sexdentata R.Cunn. ex A.Cunn. in a low marginal turf community.

Features

Erect to procumbent glandular sticky perennial herb 25-200 mm tall, all parts except flowers and older growth conspicuously though finely glandular pubescent. Sessile glands globular. Sometimes with larger scattered, eglandular hairs. Branches dark green to purple-green, non-maculate, initially decumbent, rooting at nodes soon ascending to erect. Leaves 7-26 x 2-6 mm, yellow-green to dark green with spots or stitch marks, narrow-elliptic to lanceolate, base cuneate or amplexicaul, margins with 1-3 pairs of broadly acute teeth. Flowers solitary in bract axils; pedicels 1-3 mm long; bracteoles 3-4.5 mm; sepals 3-6 mm long; corolla 10-12 mm long, pink, pink-purple or white (pink-purple in New Zealand specimen), with yellow tube and pale inner face of limb, hirsute inside on the upper side; staminodes 2. Capsule 2.5-5 mm, broadly ovoid; style remnant 2 mm long.

Similar Taxa

Most likely to be confused with Gratiola sexdentata from which it differs by its disticntly pubescent, unspotted/blemished stems and leaves and (in New Zealand specimens) pinkish-purple flowers. On occasion Gratiola sexdentata can be moderately hairy but it can still be separated from G. pubescens by its characteristically spotted/blemished leaves and stems and consistently white flowers.

Flowering

October - April

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,Violet / Purple

Fruiting

October - July

Propagation Technique

Unknown. However, it is probably easily grown if treated in the same manner as Gratiola sexdentata and C. pedunculata R.Br.

Threats

Collected once in 1999 and not seen again at that site. However, it is easily overlooked as a very hairy form of Gratiola sexdentata so it may be more widespread than current evidence suggests.

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Mucilaginous seeds are dispersed by water and possibly wind and attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).

This page last updated on 28 Sep 2014