Gentianella corymbifera subsp. gracilis
Common name
grassland gentian, tall gentian
Synonyms
None (described in 2004)
Family
Gentianaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (East of the Main Divide from mid Canterbury to Southland)
Habitat
Montane to alpine. In modified short-tussock and tall-tussock grasslands, within intermontane basins, on moraine downs, outwash terraces, and lower hillslopes. Also on schist and limestone rock outcrops near creeks
Detailed description
Plants biennial, rarely perennial, height in flower 90–370 mm. Caudex unbranched, 15–70 mm long. Root branched or unbranched, 1.3–11.3 mm diameter at stem base. Flowering stems terminal only or terminal and lateral with more slender lateral branches from among the rosette leaves, 1–7 per plant, terminal flowering stem 1.3–7.0 mm diameter at base, green, tinted crimson or purple-black, lateral flowering stems erect, internodes 2–6 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near base of flowering stem, halfway up flowering stem, or near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves present and distinct from flowering stem leaves, leaves narrowly elliptic to elliptic or ovate, leaf apex acute to rounded, 15.0–127.0 × 5.0–11.3 mm, sometimes tinted crimson or purple-black below or on the petiole, usually flat, sometimes V-shaped or channelled at the petiole, petiole 10–40 mm long, 1.5–5.2 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves ovate, apex acute, sessile. Flowers 7–110 per plant, 11–23 mm long, rarely female. Pedicels 1–2 per leaf axil, 10–30 mm long, 0.64–1.1 mm diameter. Calyx 5.2–8.5 mm long, green or tinted purple-black, crimson, or bronze; lobes 2.9–4.4 × 1.7–2.8 mm, plane, apices acute, margins smooth or minutely denticulate, hairs at sinuses present or absent. Corolla 11.0–15.3 mm long, white, rarely pale violet or with veins violet; tube 2.5–12 mm long; lobes 7.5–15.5 × 5.1–10.2 mm, hairs below sinus present; nectary 0.7–1.5 mm from corolla base. Filaments 6.4–9.2 mm long from corolla base, 1.5–2.7 mm wide. Anthers 1.5–3.2 mm long, anther wall yellow or blue-black, mouth yellow, extrorse, rarely introrse at anthesis. Stigma colourless. Ovules 36–68 per ovary. Capsules 12–19 mm long.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from subsp. corymbifera by its usually biennial life form; by the terminal flowering stem 1.3–7.0 mm cf. 3.0–11.3 mm diameter when fresh; leaves 15–127 × 5.0–11.3 mm cf. 41–168 × 6.5–31 mm wide; calyx lobes 1.7–2.8 mm cf. 2.7–4.0 mm wide; corolla 11.0–15.3 mm cf. 14.0–21.1 mm long; and by the filaments 0.6–1.2 mm cf. 1.1–1.6 mm wide.
Flowering
December – April
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Fruiting
February – June
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild
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)
corymbifera: Corymb-bearing
gracilis: Slender
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Attribution
Description modified from Glenny (2004)
References and further reading
Glenny, D. 2004: A revision of the genus Gentianella in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42: 361-530.