Gentianella impressinervia
Common name
gentian
Synonyms
None (described in 2004)
Family
Gentianaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
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.
GENIMP
Chromosome number
2n = 36
Current conservation status
The threat classification status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – a suggested threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (north-western Nelson, North Westland, Canterbury)
Habitat
Alpine in tall- and short-tussock grasslands developed on ridge lines and hill slopes, also in herbfield.
Features
Plants polycarpic, height in flower 160–600 mm. Caudex branched, 65–300 mm long, leaf scars conspicuous, stolons usually present. Root 2.9–4.5 mm diameter at stem base. Flowering stems terminal and lateral, 4–6 per plant, largest flowering stem 2.5–5.5 mm diameter at base, stem colour tinted crimson, brown, or bronze, lateral flowering stems erect, flowering stem leaves 2–7 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from ½ up flowering stem or near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves not distinct or distinct from flowering stem leaves; leaves elliptic or obovate, 18–61 mm long, 7.9–21.0 mm wide, green or tinted crimson below, or slightly bronze-tinted, glossy, flat or slightly V-shaped, recurved or not, with lateral veins impressed on upper leaf surface; leaf apex apiculate or rounded; petiole absent or indistinct, 3.5–5.5 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves ovate or obovate as for rosette leaves but sessile and almost amplexicaul, c.19 × 12 mm. Pedicels 1-2 per leaf axil, 12–35 mm long, 1.1–1.4 mm diameter Flowers 6–42 per plant, 19–24 mm long, rarely female. Calyx 7.9–12.7 mm long, green, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present; lobes 6.6–9.4 × 2.9–3.7 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins smooth, sinus hairs absent, sparse, or abundant. Corolla 1624 mm long; tube yellow or yellow-green, 4.6–7.2 mm long; lobes white with veins uncoloured, 11.3–18.1 × 7.5–12.5 mm, hairs below sinus present; nectary 1.2–2.2 mm from corolla base, dark yellow. Filaments 9.0–11.5 mm long from corolla base, 1.2–1.7 mm wide. Anthers 2.8–3.9 mm long, anther wall bluish purple, mouth yellow, extrorse at anthesis; pollen yellow. Stigma colourless. Ovules 44–84 per ovary, ovary yellow in maturity. Capsule 20–23 mm long.
Similar taxa
Recognised by its height (350–600 mm); much branched robust caudex with a rosette of leaves at the base of each flowering stem; by the thick, broadly elliptic to obovate leaves with apiculate or rounded apices and glossy upper surface, with three impressed veins on the upper surface; the large fl owers (c.21–24 mm long), and the large anthers (2.8–3.9 mm long). Superficially similar to G. montana with which it often grows and from which it differs having a yellow corolla tube.
Flowering
February – March
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Fruiting
March - May
Life cycle
Seeds dispersed by ballistic projection, wind and water (Thorsen et al., 2009)
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.
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)
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Attribution
Fact Sheet for NZPCN prepared by P.J. de Lange (1 November 2004). Description modified from Glenny (2004)
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