Epilobium pubens
Common names
willowherb
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Detailed description
Erect sparingly branched (up to 4 branches), slender perennial herb 150-700 mm tall; entire plant densely covered with erect glandular and eglandular hairs, the stems completely pubescent. Petiole 2-18 mm long, winged. Leaves opposite except in and near inflorescence where alternate; lateral veins prominent, 3-4 on each side of midrib; lamina 7-43 x 4-24 mm, dull green, narrowly obovate to broadly ovate, apex subacute to obtuse, base attentuate to rounded; margins serrulate, bearing 8-32 teeth. Inflorescence and flowers nodding. Pedicels 1-3 mm long. Ovaries 10-27 mm long, densely pubescent, with a fine covering of erect eglandular and glandular hairs. Floral tube 0.7-1.0 x 1.5-2.0 mm, internally glabrous or furnished with a few sparse hairs. Sepals 2.5-2.8 x 1.0-1.1 mm, not keeled, densely pubescent with mixtures of erect glandular/eglandular hairs. Petals 3.5-7.0 x 2.9-4.0 mm, white, notch 0.6-2.0 mm deep. Anthers 0.7-0.9 x 0.5-0.6 mm, yellow; filaments white, those of longer stamens 1.7-2.7 mm, shorter 0.8-1.2 mm. Style 2.0-2.8 mm, white, glabrous; stigma 1.5-2.6 x 0.6-0.8 mm, white, clavate. Capsule 2.9-5.3 mm long, densely covered with erect glandular and eglandular hairs; pedicel elongating to 15 mm long. Seeds 0.75-0.92 x 0.35-0.42 mm, dark brown, obovoid, papillose, coma 4-5 mm, detaching readily.
Similar taxa
Allied to Epilobium astonii (Allan) Raven et Engelhorn from which it differs by its slender scarcely branched, rather than much larger, compact, bushy, growth habit; shorter sepals (2.5-2.8 cf. 5.0-6.5 mm) and petals (3.5-7.0 cf. 7.3-13.0 mm); and by being a much more widespread species, occupying varied substrates and habitats from the coast to upper montane forest and subalpine scrub, rather than being restricted to predominantly greywacke rock within the subalpine to alpine zone of the main axial ranges of the North Island.
Distribution
Endemic. Three Kings, North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands.
Habitat
Coastal to subalpine (1-1100 m a.s.l.) but mainly found in the coastal, lowland and lower montane zone. Favouring dry situations on rock outcrops, cliff faces, clay banks or similar semi-shaded to sunny habitats. Often under seral vegetation or under relatively open Kunzea ericoides (A.Rich.) Joy Thomps. s.l. dominated vegetation.
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 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Onagraceae
Synonyms
Epilobium pubens var. strictum Allan
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September - April
Fruiting
October - June
Life cycle and dispersal
Minute pappate seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed. Not particularly attractive and inclined to 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.
pubens: Downy
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.
EPIPUB
Chromosome number
2n = 36
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
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 6 January 2008. 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 pubens Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/epilobium-pubens/ (Date website was queried)