Epilobium confertifolium
Common name
willowherb
Synonyms
Epilobium findlayi Allan, Epilobium dawbinii Allan
Family
Onagraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Chromosome number
2n = 36
Current conservation status
The threat classification 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. Authors: By 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. Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – a suggested threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Distribution
Endemic. Auckland and Campbell Islands.
Habitat
Sea level to 600 m a.s.l. A species of open ground amongst Poa litora and Chionochloa antarctica tussocks or in exposed rock ground and turf.
Features
Compact, creeping, matted, mostly glabrous perennial herb. Stems 20-180 mm long, creeping and rooting at nodes or semi-erect to erect, glabrous except for lines of fine appressed or erect hairs decurrent from the petiole margins. Leaves arranged parallel to ground in creeping forms, longer than internodes, mostly opposite becoming alternate in the inflorescence; subsessile to shortly petiolate (up to 2 mm long); lamina 4-16 x 2-7 mm, glossy, bright green, elliptic, apex acute, base attenuate, margins serrulate bearing up to 12 teeth, lateral veins scarcely evident, 1-4 either side of midrib. Inflorescence and flowers erect with flowers well spaced along stems. Ovaries 5-12 mm long, glabrous, subsessile or on glabrous or finely strigulose-striated pedicels up to 8 mm long. Floral tube 0.4-1.0 mx 0.7-1.4 mm, glabrous. Sepals 1.8-3.3 x 0.7-1.1 mm, glabrous, not keeled. Petals 2.0-5.5 x 1.2-2.6 mm, bright rose-purple, notch 0.3-1.3 mm. Anthers 0.3-0.5 x 0.3-0.4 mm, yellow; filaments of longer stamens 0.8-1.5 mm long, those of shorter 0.5-0.6 mm, rose-purple. Style 0.8-1.8 mm tall, white; stigma 0.6-1.3 x 0.3-0.8 mm, white, clavate. Capsule 13-40 mm long on pedicel up to 60 mm long; thick and fleshy, bright green, glabrous. Seeds 0.8-0.9 x 0.4 mm, brown, narrowly obovoid, papillose; coma 5-7 mm long, white, easily detached.
Similar taxa
A distinctive species easily recognised by the glabrous ovary and rose-pink flowers. It has no close relationship morphologically or otherwise to the other Epilobium species recorded from the subantarctic islands
Flowering
November - January
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Violet/Purple
Fruiting
December - March
Life cycle
Minute pappate seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.
Threats
Not Threatened. A narrow range endemic abundant within its subantarctic habitats and listed only because it qualifies as a Range Restricted species.
Etymology
epilobium: From the Greek epi- ‘upon’ and lobos ‘a pod’, the flowers appearing to be growing on the seed pod.
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 6 January 2008. Description adapted from Raven & Raven (1976) and Webb & Simpson (2001).
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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Epilobium confertifolium Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/epilobium-confertifolium/ (Date website was queried)