Species

Euphrasia integrifolia

Etymology

Euphrasia: eye-medicine

Common Name(s)

None known

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 - Data Deficient

Qualifiers

2012 - Sp

Authority

Euphrasia integrifolia Petrie

Family

Orobanchaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

EUPINT

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

None

Distribution

Endemic to the South Island where it is though to occur only in Fiordland. It has been collected from the following ranges in Fiordland: Wilmot Pass, Mt Cleughearn (Type Locality), Lake Hauroko and the Princess Range. It has been recorded (but not collected) as far east as the Takitimu, Thomsom, Garvie and Umbrella Mountains in Southland and the Old Man Range in Otago.

Habitat

Damp alpine meadows and bogs.

Features

Diminutive, prostrate, hairless, succulent herb, forming diffuse matted patches. Branches rooting at nodes, ascending at tips. Leaves succulent, without stalks, 3-4 mm long, obovoid-acuminate, leaf tip acute. Flowers few, near branch tips, very shortly stalked or on stalks the length of the leaves. Calyx 3-5 mm long, divided for half the length, lobes triangular, sharp tipped, succulent. Corolla white, 8-13 mm long, tube up to 10 mm long, much > calyx. Corolla lobes of lower lip up to 2 mm wide, entire. Anthers brown, with hairy margins.

Similar Taxa

Closest perhaps to E. disperma but differing by the branches which root abundantly as they creep, and by the shorter floral tube.

Flowering

No information available

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

No information available

Propagation Technique

A hemiparasite, and so impossible to cultivate without first undertaking a careful study of its host relationships.

Threats

Ashwin (in Allan 1961) states very little of this distinct species has been collected. This is probably still the case though P.J. Garnock-Jones (pers. comm.) stated it was common in some parts of Fiordland he had recently (2001) visited. Although it would seem unlikely to be seriously threatened the exact status of this species, perhaps because it is so small and easily over-looked is still uncertain.

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Seeds is dispersed by wind and possibly water and ballistic projection (Thorsen et al., 2009).

 

  

References and further reading

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

This page last updated on 22 Sep 2014