Gentianella concinna
Common name
Auckland Island gentian
Synonyms
Gentiana concinna Hook.f., Gentiana cerina var. concinna (Hook.f.) Kirk, Chionogentias concinna (Hook.f.) L.G.Adams
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: IE, RR
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE, OL
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE
2004 | Range Restricted
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: Auckland Islands
Habitat
Coastal to alpine. In open turf land, tussock grasslands, forest and scrub and within on sedgeland developed along the summit fellfields
Detailed description
Plants monocarpic, probably biennial, height in flower 27–150 mm. Caudex unbranched. Flowering stems erect, terminal only or terminal and lateral with 1–4 flowering stems per plant, stems 0.7–3.4 mm diameter when dry, lateral flowering stems erect, flowering stem leaves 2–4 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from halfway up flowering stem. Rosette of leaves distinct or not very distinct from flowering stem leaves; leaves narrowly elliptic, 15.0–32.0 mm × 3.7–8.0 mm wide, margin thickened, apex rounded, petiole indistinct, c. 10 mm long, 1.0–1.5(–2.5) mm wide at narrowest point. Pedicels 1 or 2 per leaf axil, 4.0–11.5 × 0.9–1.1 mm. Flowers 1–22 per plant, 10.5–12.0 mm long. Calyx 6.0–8.8 mm long; lobes 5.1–8.0 mm long, 2.0–2.3 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute or obtuse, margins minutely denticulate, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present, sinus hairs absent. Corolla 8.7–13.0 mm long, ranging from white to strongly coloured, with purple veins and/or with weak to strong red to purple tinting; tube 2.0–3.0 mm long; lobes 6.7–10.0 × 4.2–6.1 mm wide, hairs below sinus present or absent; nectary 1.2–1.5 mm from corolla base. Filaments 4.1–8.0 mm long from corolla base, 0.55–0.70 mm wide. Anthers 1.2–1.8 mm long. Stigma purple. Ovules 13–40 per ovary. Capsule 7.7–9.0 mm long.
Similar taxa
Gentianella concinna differs from the only other species present on the Auckland Islands, G. cerina by its biennial growth habit; erect flowering stems; calyces that are 6.0–8.8 mm long, and calyx lobes that are not pandurate and which are rounded or acute at the apices, with the corolla longer than the calyx and with leaves which are 15.0–32.0 × 3.7–8.0 mm
Flowering
November – April
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Fruiting
December - June
Life cycle
Seeds dispersed by ballistic projection, wind and water (Thorsen et al., 2009)
Propagation technique
Difficult to grow. Should not be removed from the wild
Threats
A Naturally Uncommon, range-restricted, island endemic. Abundant on the islands it is under no obvious threat. The Auckland Islands are administered as a Nature Reserve and are part of a World Heritage Park with access strictly controlled by the New Zealand Department of Conservation.
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)
concinna: Charming, elegant
Where To Buy
Not Commercially Available
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (October 2004). 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.
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