Gentianella antarctica

Detailed description

Plants monocarpic, probably biennial, height in flower 16–220 mm. Caudex unbranched, 4–13 mm long. Root unbranched, c. 2 mm diameter at stem base. Flowering stems terminal only, largest flowering stem c. 2.5 mm diameter at base, stem colour green or tinted crimson, 4 pairs of leaves per stem, lowest pedicels from halfway up flowering stem. Rosette leaves distinct from flowering stem leaves, narrowly elliptic, 11.0–82.0 × 3.1–17.6 mm, green or tinted purple-black or bronze, flat, apex acute to rounded, not recurved or recurved at tips of smaller leaves; margins recurved, thickened; petiole absent or indistinct, c. 5–11 mm long, 1.6–8.8 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves almost identical to rosette leaves but shorter and wider. Pedicels one or two per leaf axil, 1.6–4.5 mm long, c. 0.5 mm diameter. Flowers 9–49 per plant, 7–12 mm long. Calyx 5.5–7.6 mm long, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present; lobes 4.0–5.9 mm long, 1.2–1.5 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins minutely denticulate, sinus hairs sparse or absent. Corolla 9.5–14.0 mm long, white or pink to dark purple with veins colourless or pink to dark purple; tube 3.0–5.5 mm long; lobes 4.6–8.5 × 1.5–2.9 mm, hairs below sinus absent; nectary 1.6–3.4 mm from corolla base. Filaments 3.4–7.2 mm long from corolla base, 0.5–0.6 mm wide. Anthers 1.0–1.2 mm long, anther wall blue-black, rarely yellow, extrorse at anthesis. Stigma colour unknown. Ovules 7–27 per ovary. Capsule 8.0–13.2 mm long.