Gentianella bellidifolia

Detailed description

Plants polycarpic, height in flower 80–370 mm. Root 1.2–6.0 mm diameter at stem base. Caudex unbranched or branched, 15–90 mm long, stolons absent. Flowering stems lateral only, 1–13 per plant, largest flowering stem 1.0–3.2 mm diameter, green, tinted purple-black, or bronze, lateral flowering stems erect or decumbent, stem leaves 2–4 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from halfway up flowering stem or near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves present and distinct from flowering stem leaves, leaves narrowly elliptic, elliptic, rhomboid, or orbicular, 11.0–140.0 × 4.0–12.5 mm, green or tinted purple-black, channelled, larger leaves V-shaped, leaf apex acute to rounded; petiole usually distinct, 7.0–27.0 × 0.8–4.6 mm. Flowering stem leaves elliptic to narrowly ovate. Pedicels 1 per leaf axil, 1–48 mm long, 0.8–1.9 mm diameter, 0.5–0.8 mm diameter when dry. Flowers 1–45 per plant, 12–23 mm long, rarely female. Calyx 8.2–13 mm long; lobes 3.8–8.3 mm long, 1.7–4.2 mm wide at base, green or green tinted purple-black, crimson, or brown, plane, lobe apices acute, margins convex, smooth or minutely denticulate, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present or absent, hairs at lobe sinuses few. Corolla 15.6–22.6 mm long, white (in the South Island) or with veins coloured grey-violet (in the North Island), tube 3.4–6.0 mm long; lobes 11.1–17.0 × 6.3–12.4 mm, hairs above sinus present; nectary 0.4–1.4 mm from corolla base. Filaments 7.7–12.5 mm long from corolla base, 0.6–2.0 mm wide. Anthers 1.8–3.0 mm long, anther wall blue-black, mouth yellow, extrorse at anthesis. Stigma colourless. Ovules 16–68 per ovary, ovary yellow in maturity, rarely turning blue. Capsule 17–24 mm long.