Euphrasia wettsteiniana
Common names
eyebright
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
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 – Declining | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, RR
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Detailed description
Perennial, prostrate fine-leaved evergreen succulent not rooting at nodes; stem glabrous-subglabrous, approximately 0.4 mm diameter. Leaves sessile, fleshy, 3.5 x 1 mm, oval-lanceolate, narrowed at the base, apex apiculate, margin entire or with a pair of lanceolate, apiculate teeth up to approximately 0.5-1 mm long about the middle (both forms may occur on same plant), subglabrous, or pilose. Flowers borne singly along the branches on 1-2 mm generally horizontal pedicels which are bent abruptly at junction with calyx so that flower stands erect. Calyx, about 3-4 mm, nearly equal to half quadrifidus, ovate lobes sharpest placed on end, 0.2 mm long, very sparsely ciliate with white hairs, persistent until onset of decay. Corolla white to cream, striped, with yellow blotching mid-way toward limb, 15-70 mm long, tube up to 60mm long, very narrow to filiform, flaring suddenly into limb 8-9 mm diameter, more or less pilose; lobes of lower lip 4.2-5.2 mm wide, entire, of upper lip very short but wider, up to 6 mm wide. Anthers free, erect, golden yellow ellipsoidal blunt, filament glabrous; stamens subequal to didynamous 1 x 2 mm long uniformly mucronate. Style, slender, unbranched, bent at tip, stigma insignificant. Ovary with 1 ovule per locule; capsule broader than tall, rupturing calyx at anterior cleft; sometimes 2-seeded and symmetrically obcordate or bicornute, more often 1-seeded by abortion and asymmetric, approximately 2 x 4 mm and ovate to triangular in outline; apparently indehiscent. Seed close to ovate, approximately 1.3-1.4 x 2.3-2.8 (-3.5) mm long.
Similar taxa
From Euphrasia disperma it can be distinguished by its much larger and usually much more long-tubed flowers, and by its more distinctly nerved and usually distinctly unidentate leaves. In E. disperma the corolla (9-15 mm long), and anthers (1 mm long) are much shorter than in E. wettsteiniana (15-70 mm, and 2 mm long respectively). Recently there has been consensus that the outer corolla of E. wettsteiniana has yellow blotches present, which are not present on E. disperma.
When determining between the two species it would be best to consider all the potential differences.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, West Coast Karamea, Denniston Plateau, Lake Brunner. Up to 600 m a.s.l.
Habitat
Wet tussock grassland mixed with cushion bog and open channels and pans of cobbles.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Anagosperma dispermum Wettstein, Euphrasia disperma (Hook, f.) Cheeseman 1906, Siphonidium longiflorum Armstrong, Euphrasia longiflora M. Vahl, Euphrasia longiflora Kirk.
Taxonomic notes
In, du Rietz (1931) he suggested: Euphrasia wettsteiniana is a highly polymorphic species, containing a series of forms differing from each other especially in the length of the corolla-tube and in the form of the leaves. A detailed account of this polymorphy must be based upon studies in the field. In order to give some idea of it, however, I shall describe some distinct forms represented in the herbarium-material available to myself at present, leaving the question open whether the describing and naming of such forms will prove to be of any value when a more detailed study of the polymorphy of this species has been carried out.
The above detailed description is an amalgamation of the four descriptions in du Rietz (1931).
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
(October-) November – April (-May).
Fruiting
November – May.
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
wettsteiniana: Named after Richard Wettstein, (30 June 1863 - 10 August 1931) Austrian Botanist.
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.
EUPWET
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 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: RR
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: DP
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. Pages 859-860.
du Rietz. G. E. 1931: The long-tubed New Zealand species of Euphrasia (=Siphonidium Armstr.). Svensk Botanisk Tidskrift. Volume 25: Pages 108-25.
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. and Simpson, M.J., 2001. Seeds of New Zealand gymnosperms and dicotyledons. Manuka Press. Pages 335 & 338.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by M.D. Ward (13 November 2020) Description adapted from du Rietz (1931).