Gentianella luteoalba
Common name
cream 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.
GENLUT
Chromosome number
2n = 36
Current conservation status
The conservation 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). 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.
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand. South Island: (north-west Nelson, Lookout and Hope Range)
Habitat
Alpine, on sparse vegetated, virtually bare granite gravel exposures on steep sides, but low relief ridge tops
Features
Plants monocarpic, biennial, height in flower 25–60 mm (rosette of leaves compact, 22–70 mm diameter). Caudex unbranched, to 55 mm long. Root 2.2–4.4 mm diameter at stem base. Flowering stems terminal, largest flowering stem 3.0–5.0 mm diameter at base, stem colour green or tinted purple-black, flowering stem leaves 1 pair per stem, lowest pedicels from near base of flowering stem to ½ up flowering stem. Rosette of leaves present but not very distinct or present and distinct from flowering stem leaves, leaves tongue-like, 10.5–33 × 4.2–5.2 mm, green, margins dark red-brown, channelled, recurved or not, leaf apex rounded; petiole absent, leaf 2.7–5.0 mm wide at base. Pedicels 1 per leaf axil, 1–21 mm long, 1.0–1.3 mm diameter. Flowers 14-133 per plant, 12.5–19.5 mm long. Calyx 6.7–8.4 mm long, green, tinted brown, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present; lobes 4.8–5.9 mm long, 2.2–2.9 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins smooth or minutely denticulate at lobe base or for full length of margin, sinus hairs sparse to abundant. Corolla 11.6–14.9 mm long, uniformly pale yellow; tube 3.8–4.7 mm long; lobes 9.2–10.2 × 5.1–6.3 mm wide, hairs below sinus present; nectary 1.5–2.0 mm from corolla base. Filaments 7.8–9.9 mm long from corolla base, 0.6–0.8 mm wide. Anthers 1.0–2.1 mm long, anther wall blue-black, mouth yellow, extrorse at anthesis; pollen yellow. Stigma colourless. Ovules 9–20 per ovary, ovary turning slightly blue in maturity. Capsule 5.6–7.5 mm long.
Similar taxa
Most similar to G. divisa and G. magnifica neither of which is present in north-west Nelson. Distinguished by the biennial growth habit and overall small size (25-60 mm tall); by the thick taproot (up to 4.4. mm diameter at stem base); by the lower epidermal leaf cells which are non-zigzagged and which have thickened walls; by numerous (up to 133) uniformly pale yellow flowers; by the corolla length (up to 14.9 mm), calyx lobes which are longer than wide; and filaments up to 0.8 mm wide. In this species the flowering stem is so condensed that the main stem is not visible.
Flowering
February –March
Flower colours
Blue, 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
Threats
A Naturally Uncommon, Range-restricted endemic, which is locally abundant within its few known habitats. All known populations occur within Kahurangi National Park. There are no known threats.
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)
luteoalba: Yellowish white
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Attribution
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