Epilobium brevipes
Common names
willowherb
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Simplified description
A stout perennial herb with leathery, glabrous, red margined, elliptic to narrowly elliptic leaves, with remotely serrulate teeth. The species has erect white to pink flowers that are borne near the tip of the branches, with erect green to red capsules that are glabrous.
Flower colours
Red/Pink, White
Detailed description
Basally woody, perennial herb forming densely branched reddish-green bushes up to 400 x 400 mm; stems often glossy, glabrous, or with a few strigulose hairs at junction of petiole margins. Petiole 3-9 mm long. Leaves coriaceous, opposite with the uppermost alternate, 13-26 x 4-8 mm, reddish green to red, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, apex acute with a blunt, globose, persistent apiculus, base acute; lamina surfaces glossy, lateral veins not evident when fresh (2-3 each side of midrib seen when dry); margins remotely serrulate bearing 4-10 teeth. Flowers erect. Pedicels 1-3 mm long. Ovaries 9-11 mm, glabrous. Floral tube 0.8-1.2 x 1.2-2.0 mm. Sepals 4.2-5.4 x 1.0-1.7 mm, not keeled, glabrous. Petals 6.7-7.4 x 3.8-4.6 mm, white flushing pink after anthesis, notch 1.7-2.0 mm deep. Anthers 0.6-0.8 x 0.4-0.6 mm, yellow; filaments of longer stamens 2.5-4 mm long, those of shorter 1.0-2.6 mm. Style 2.4-4.0 mm long, white; stigma 1.7-2.0 x 0.6-1.2 mm, white, clavate. Capsule 2.0-3.8 mm long, glabrous; pedicel elongating up to 10 mm at fruiting. Seeds 1.3-1.6 x 0.4-0.6 mm, brown, obovoid, smooth; coma 4 mm long, detaching readily.
Similar taxa
Rather similar to E. petraeum Heenan, which is a glabrescent shrub of similar habitats. The leaf apices of E. petraeum have obtuse to retuse rather than acute apices, and lack the distinct apiculus typical of E. brevipes. Another major difference is that the stem leaf junction of E. petraeum lacks the minute tuft of strigulose hairs seen in E. brevipes.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, Marlborough (upper Awatere and Clarence Rivers and Kaikoura Ranges), north Canterbury (Waiau River, Hanmer) to Arthur’s Pass and the Torlesse Range.
Habitat
Lowland to alpine (300-1200 m a.s.l.). Inhabiting the sides of steep rocky gorges and sparsely vegetated, rubbly cliff faces and rock outcrops
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT
Threats
Although not regarded as threatened it has been suggested that the range of this species has contracted due to animal browse and through competition from weeds. Insufficient evidence is available to confirm this but should it be substantiated then this species may qualify as “At Risk. Declining”.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
December-February
Fruiting
January - May
Life cycle and dispersal
Minute pappate seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed. An attractive rock garden and pot plant. However, like many epilobia it can potentially become invasive.
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Etymology
epilobium: From the Greek epi- ‘upon’ and lobos ‘a pod’, the flowers appearing to be growing on the seed pod.
brevipes: Short foot
NVS code
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.
EPIBRE
Chromosome number
2n = 36
Previous conservation statuses
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel 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, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Raven, P.H.; Raven, T.E. 1976: The genus Epilobium in Australasia. New Zealand DSIR Bulletin 216. Wellington, Government Printer.
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
Webb, C.J.; Simpson, M.J.A. 2011: Seeds of New Zealand Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Christchurch, Manuka Press.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 10 May 2005. Description adapted from Raven & Raven (1976) and Webb & Simpson (2001).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Epilobium brevipes Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/epilobium-brevipes/ (Date website was queried)