Gentianella astonii subsp. arduana
Common name
Ward Beach gentian, Chalk Range gentian
Synonyms
None
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Distribution
Endemic. South Island. Marlborough, near Ward, Chalk Range, Mean Hill and In Canterbury at Whalesback Ridge
Habitat
Coastal to montane on limestone rocks. Often on steep bluffs, cliffs and cliff faces, ledges, crevices and rock joints. Also on limestone talus, colluvium and associated rendzina soils
Detailed description
Tufted perennial up to 110 mm tall when flowering. Flowering stems, 3-26 per plant, green or purple-black. Rosette leaves absent. Leaves narrowly to very narrowly elliptic to obovate, 8.6-25 x 1.1-3.9 mm, purple at base, otherwise dark green, flat or slightly V-shaped, margins minutely toothed or smooth; apex rounded to acute. Pedicels (0-)3-18 mm long. Flowers 6-52 per plant, 10-20 mm long. Calyx 5.2-7.1 mm; lobes, green, 3.5-5.4 x 1.1-1.7 mm, plane or recurved, margins minutely toothed. Corolla 9.2-15.2 mm, white, with violet tinting on the outside and inside of the corolla lobe apices, tube 3.0-5.2 mm; lobes 6.2-10 x 3.9-6.7 mm, apices toothed. Nectaries 1.2-4.3 mm from corolla base, V-shaped with a pocket or flaps that are not fused at base, margins toothed to entire. Filaments 4-8.6 mm from corolla base. Anthers 1.1-2.0 mm, anther wall blue-black. Ovules 13-28 per ovary. Capsule 7.6-15 mm.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from G. astonii (Petrie) T.N.Ho et S.W.Liu subsp. astonii by the smaller leaves (8.6-25 cf. 16-32 mm in subsp. astonii), smaller anthers (1.1-2 cf. 1.7-2.5 mm in subsp. astonii), and 13-28 ovules per ovary cf. 27-30 ovules per ovary in subsp. astonii. From G. calcis Glenny et Molloy, G. astonii differs by the shorter leaves (9-32 cf. 30-83 in G. calcis), which are plane and without a recurved apex.
Flowering
March-June (-October)
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Fruiting
April-November
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.
Threats
Most at risk in the lowland part of its range, where it is threatened by weeds and the potential for further limestone quarrying. Otherwise secure in the inland and more montane part of its range. Previously regarded (as Gentiana aff. astonii (d) (CHR 529114; Ward) and Gentiana aff. astonii (f) (CHR 279272; Chalk Range)) as Range Restricted in de Lange et al. (2004).
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)
astonii: After Aston
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Attribution
Fact Sheet for NZPCN prepared by P.J. de Lange (1 November 2004). Description modified from Glenny (2004)
References and further reading
de Lange et al., 2004, Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand, New Zealand Journal of Botany 42: 45-76.
Glenny, D. 2004: A revision of the genus Gentianella in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42: 361-530.