Euphrasia repens
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Slender succulent annual herb usually forming matted patches. Stems much and often ± umbellately branched, branches creeping and rooting at nodes or ascending, usually flattened with membranous wings, glabrous or with sparse flattened jointed hairs. Leaves sessile and subsheathing at base, 2.5–4–(6) × 1–3 mm, oblong- to ovate-cuneate, upper ⅕-⅓ digitately divided into 3–5–(7) subacute to acute linear segments 0.5–2 mm long, middle segment usually greater than lateral segments, membranous when dry, glabrous or sparsely white-hairy, rarely with 1–2 setae at tips of segments. Flowers usually borne singly, subsessile or on pedicels up to 10 mm long. Calyx 3–4–(5) mm long, divided approximately ½ way; lobes lanceolate-triangular, acute, glabrous or occasionally setose at tips. Corolla white, (6)–10–13 mm long; tube slender, up to 9 mm long, much longer than calyx; lobes of lower lip up to 2 mm wide, entire. Anthers yellow to golden brown, glabrous or with a few marginal hairs, awns small, almost equal. Capsule shorter than calyx, densely setose at apex; seeds 2 per locule, 1.1–1.4 mm long, narrowly elliptic.
Similar taxa
Morphologically similar to Euphrasia dyeri, from which it differs by being a plant of coastal sands, usually creeping and rooting, often forming tight mats; leaves 2.5–4–(6) × 1–3 mm, divided not greater than ⅓ way, segments sub-acute to acute, middle segment usually wider than lateral.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura: Coastal Fiordland to Toetoes Bay; coastal and sand pans of Stewart Island/Rakiura.
Habitat
Sandy, shingly and boggy places on coasts of Foveaux Strait and adjacent islets.
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 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT, RR
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Euphrasia umbellata Petrie
Taxonomic notes
In Allan (1961), Petrie distinguished his E. umbellata from E. repens by its larger size, more erect and not rooting habit, and larger, more divided leaves. Though the type specimens and other collections from the Oreti mouth are luxuriant and ascending as he described, they bear occasional roots at lower nodes, and the differences between these and dense mats of small-leaved rooting branches from Bluff and Fortrose seem wholly ascribable to habitat. Cheeseman (1925) treated the two species separately but remarked of E. umbellata: “I regard this as nothing more than a large state of E. repens”.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
January–March.
Fruiting
February–April.
Life cycle and dispersal
Seeds is dispersed by wind and possibly water and ballistic projection (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
OBL: Obligate Wetland
Almost always is a hydrophyte, rarely in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
euphrasia: Eye-medicine
repens: From Latin repere meaning to creep, means creeping
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.
EUPREP
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 – Declining | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
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.
Cheeseman TF. 1925. Manual of the New Zealand Flora. 2nd edition. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 163 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.
Webb CJ, Simpson MJA. 2001. Seeds of New Zealand Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch. 428 p.
Wilson HD. 1982. Field Guide: Stewart Island plants. Field Guide Publications, Christchurch, NZ. 528 p.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by M.D. Ward (3 November 2020) 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: Ward, M.D. (Year at time of access): Euphrasia repens Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/euphrasia-repens/ (Date website was queried)