Gentianella lilliputiana
Common names
little gentian
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Plants annual, monocarpic, annual, 6-25 mm tall in flower. Caudex unbranched. Taproot slender. Flowering stems terminal only or terminal and lateral, 1–4 per plant, stem colour yellow, lateral flowering stems erect or decumbent, c.0.7-0.6 mm diameter; flowering stem leaves 1–2 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves absent from flowering plants, leaves linear or narrowly elliptic, 1.5–13 × 0.5–2.0 mm, flat, not recurved, petiole indistinct, 2–7 mm long, 0.4–0.6 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves narrower than leaves. Pedicels 0.7–1.7 mm long, c. 0.5 mm diameter. Flowers 1–4 per plant, 3.7–5.0 mm long. Calyx 4–5-lobed, 2.4–6.2 mm long, green tinted purple-black, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line absent; lobes 1.0–3.3 mm long, 0.95–2.1 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins smooth, sinus hairs absent. Corolla 3.4–4.3 mm long, white, veins uncoloured; tube 1.4–3.2 mm long; 4–5-lobed, lobes 2.0–3.6 mm long, 1.3–2.3 mm wide, hairs below sinus absent; nectary 0.6–1.0 mm from corolla base. Filaments 1.9–4.1 mm long from corolla base, 0.2–0.3 mm wide. Anthers 0.4–0.7 mm long, introrse at anthesis. Ovules 2–13 per ovary. Capsule 4.0–6.0 mm long.
Similar taxa
Easily distinguished from other Gentianella by its annual growth habit; very small size; and usually by the presence of a single terminal, mostly 4-merous flower (though on occasion there may be up to four flowers present). It most closely resembles G. filipes which is endemic to north-west Nelson in size. In Otago cushion bogs it could be confused with G. amabilis. From which it differs by being an annual, rather than a perennial, by its parts being very much smaller and by the flat rather than V-shaped leaves.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (south Canterbury (Kirkliston Range, Hawkdun Range) and Otago (Dunstan Range)
Habitat
Alpine in bogs and flushes in alpine grasslands and herbfields on low relief ridge tops
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 – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp, DPT
Threats
A Naturally Uncommon, Range-restricted endemic which is locally common within its few known habitats. At present here are no known threats.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Gentiana lilliputiana C.J.Webb, Chionogentias lilliputiana (C.J.Webb) L.G.Adams
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
January – February
Fruiting
February - April
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
Other information
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)
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: EF
2004 | Range Restricted
Regional conservation statuses
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.
Otago: 2024 | At Risk – Regionally Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT, NR, NS, NS, Sp, St
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)