Epilobium elegans
Common names
willowherb
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Simplified description
A little known species very similar to Epilobium tenuipes, characterised by small stature, with leaves and flowers that are larger than those found in E. tenuipes.
Detailed description
Perennial tufted herb. Stems simple to sparingly branched, slender 50–150 mm long, initially prostrate and rooting at nodes then ascending and becoming erect at tips; bifariously pubescent. Leaves opposite, crowded and overlapping in lower part, alternate within inflorescence portion of stem, sessile to subsessile; lamina 10–20 × 2–4 mm; light green, linear, narrow-elliptic to narrow-lanceolate, obtuse to subacute, membranous, glabrous, margins finely and obscurely denticulate or entire. Flowers erect, solitary or few, up to ± 8 mm diameter; sepals linear to very narrow-ovate; petals white, deeply lobed, ± 2× length of sepals. Capsules 20–30 mm long, reddish to pale brown, narrowed at apex, glabrous; pedicels elongated to 50 mm or more at maturity. Seeds smooth.
Similar taxa
Allied to Epilobium tenuipes from which it differs by its longer (10–20 mm cf. 5–10 mm in E. tenuipes), slightly broader (2–4 mm cf. 1–3 mm in E. tenuipes) leaves, larger flowers (up to 8 mm diameter in E. elegans, up to 4 mm diameter in E. tenuipes), glabrous rather glabrous to finely puberulent longer capsules (20–30 mm cf. 15–25 mm long in E. tenuipes) and consistently smooth rather smooth or minutely reticulate seeds.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Marlborough to Otago, east of the main divide).
Habitat
Lowland to montane in short (Festuca, Poa and Rytidosperma) and tall (Chionochloa-dominated) grassland and tussockland. In open ground often amongst Raoulia mats. Also found within braided river beds.
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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- 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, DPR
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Onagraceae
Taxonomic notes
Raven & Raven (1976) treat Epilobium elegans as part of the natural variation within their concept of Epilobium alsinoides subsp. tenuipes (Hook.f.) P.H.Raven et Engelhorn (which is treated here as a species—E. tenuipes Hook.f.). Species rank for E. elegans is preferred because this species is commonly found growing sympatrically with E. tenuipes from which it remains morphologically distinct. In this respect the species concepts of the late A.P. Druce are followed (Druce 1993).
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–March
Fruiting
December–May
Life cycle and dispersal
Minute pappate seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and rooted pieces. Inclined to become weedy.
Other information
Etymology
epilobium: From the Greek epi- ‘upon’ and lobos ‘a pod’, the flowers appearing to be growing on the seed pod.
elegans: Elegant
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.
EPIELE
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Data Deficient
2012 | Data Deficient
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan HH. 1961. Flora of New Zealand, Volume I. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 1085 p.
Druce AP. 1993. Indigenous vascular plants of New Zealand. Ninth Revision. Unpublished Checklist held at Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand.
Raven PH, Raven TE. 1976. The genus Epilobium in Australasia. New Zealand DSIR Bulletin 216. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 321 p.
Thorsen MJ, Dickinson KJM, Seddon PJ. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.06.001.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 September 2011. Description adapted from Allan (1961).
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Epilobium elegans Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/epilobium-elegans/ (Date website was queried)