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  4. Gentianella grisebachii

Gentianella grisebachii

Lammermoor Range 1000m.<br>Photographer: Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Showing characteristically narrow triangular calyces, Thomson Mountains, Otago.<br>Photographer: Jesse Bythell, Date taken: 20/02/2023, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Thomson Mountains, Otago.<br>Photographer: Jesse Bythell, Date taken: 20/02/2023, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Lammermoor Range 1000.<br>Photographer: Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Gentianella grisebachii.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Ruahine range, January.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
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Common names

forest gentian, common gentian

Biostatus

Native – Endemic taxon

Category

Vascular

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites

Flower colours

Violet/Purple, White

Detailed description

Plants monocarpic, biennial, height in flower 40–290 mm. Caudex unbranched, 7–15 mm long. Root 1.4–4.0 mm diameter at stem base. Flowering stems terminal and lateral or lateral only, 2–8 per plant, largest flowering stem 0.6–2.7 mm diameter at base, stem green, tinted crimson-orange, or purple-black, lateral flowering stems erect or decumbent, flowering stem leaves 3–6 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near base of flowering stem to near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves absent from flowering plants, leaves narrowly elliptic or elliptic or ovate, 9.1–65.0 × 2.3–16.0 mm wide, green or tinted purple-black, flat or V-shaped, not recurved; apex acute or rounded; petiole distinct, 11–18 mm long, 0.7–3.6 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves elliptic, ovate to narrowly ovate. Flowers 3–49 per plant, 6.7–20.0 mm long. Pedicels 1 per leaf axil, 10–80 mm long (elongating after flowering to 17–85 mm), 0.5–1.4 mm diameter. Calyx 5.5–11.6 mm long, green, tinted purple-black at the apices, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present; lobes 4.2–7.8 mm long, 0.9–2.6 mm wide at base, plane, apices narrowly acute, margins smooth, sinus hairs absent or sparse. Corolla 6.4–16 mm long, white, occasionally with purple-grey tinting on the corolla lobes, veins uncoloured, purple or purple-grey; tube 1.5–3.8 mm long; lobes 4.9–12.5 × 2.1–8.6 mm wide, hairs below sinus absent or present; nectary 0.4–1.2 mm from corolla base. Filaments 3.6–8.6 mm long from corolla base, 0.3–1.1 mm wide. Anthers 0.5–3.4 mm long, anther wall blue-black, rarely pink, mouth yellow, pale orange or orange-red, extrorse, occasionally horizontal at anthesis; pollen yellow or pale orange. Stigma colourless. Ovules 23–72 per ovary. Capsule 7.2–20.0 mm long.

Similar taxa

Distinguished by its usually small, slender stems and preference for moderately acidic to acidic bogs and other poorly drained, sparsely vegetated habitats. Although highly variable it is easily separated from other Gentianella its large number of gracile dark purple or bronze scapes, the pedicels which greatly elongate after flowering; by its narrowly triangular calyx lobes; and also (for most of its range) by its small flowers that scarcely open.

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North (from Mt Pirongia and the Raukumara Ranges south), South and Stewart Islands.

Habitat

Usually montane to alpine but also lowland in southern part of range. Mainly present in moderately acid to acidic bogs, swamp forest, cloud forest, and poorly drained subalpine scrub, tussock grassland and rough pasture.

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 | Not Threatened

Jump to previous conservation statuses

Detailed taxonomy

Family

Gentianaceae

Authority

Gentianella grisebachii (Hook.f.) T.N.Ho et S.W.Liu

Synonyms

Gentiana grisebachii Hook.f., Gentiana montana f. grisebachii (Hook.f.) Kirk, Gentiana novae-zelandiae J.B.Armstr., Gentiana montana f. novaezelandiae (J.B.Armstr.) Kirk, Gentiana montana var. novae-zelandiae (J.B.Armstr.) Cheeseman, Gentiana matthewsii Petrie, Gentiana grisebachii var. matthewsii (Petrie) Cheeseman, Chionogentias grisebachii (Hook.f.) L.G.Adams, C. matthewsii (Petrie) L.G.Adams

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Ecology

Flowering

January – May

Fruiting

February - August

Life cycle and dispersal

Seeds dispersed by ballistic projection, wind and water (Thorsen et al., 2009)

Propagation technique

Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.

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]

FACW: Facultative Wetland

Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands (non-wetlands).

Other information

Where To Buy

Not commercially available.

Etymology

gentianella: Little Gentiana (named after Gentius, 6th century king of Illyria, who found the roots of the yellow gentian to have a healing effect on his malaria-stricken troops)

grisebachii: After Grisebach

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.

GENGRI

Chromosome number

2n = 36

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 | Not Threatened

2012 | Not Threatened

2009 | Not Threatened

2004 | Not Threatened

Jump to current conservation status

Regional conservation statuses

Otago: 2024 | Regionally Not Threatened | Qualifiers: TL

The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.

Referencing and citations

References and further reading

Glenny, D. 2004: A revision of the genus Gentianella in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42: 361-530.

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

Attribution

Fact Sheet for NZPCN prepared by P.J. de Lange (1 November 2004). Description modified from Glenny (2004)

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