Gentianella spenceri
Common names
Spencer’s gentian
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Detailed description
Plants monocarpic, biennial, height in flower 85–270 mm. Caudex unbranched, 20–100 mm long, stolons absent. Root 2.0–3.1 mm diameter at stem base. Flowering stems terminal and lateral, 1–7 per plant, largest flowering stem 2.0–3.3 mm diameter at base, 1.9–2.7 mm diameter when dry, green or tinted crimson, lateral flowering stems erect, flowering stem leaves 1–3 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near base of flowering stem or halfway up flowering stem. Rosette of leaves present and distinct from flowering stem leaves, leaves elliptic, orbicular, obovate, or ovate, 25.0–93.0 × 13.0–22.0 mm, green or tinted crimson below or tinted purple-black, flat or with petiole v-shaped, sometimes very shallowly 2- or 3-lobed, sometimes recurved at the apex, leaf apex usually rounded, occasionally acute or retuse, petiole absent to distinct, 15.0–53.0 × 2.0–5.8 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves orbicular with shorter petioles than rosette leaves or sessile. Pedicels 1 or 2 per leaf axil, 1.5–10.0 × 1.0–1.2 mm diameter, 0.4–0.7 mm diameter when dry. Flowers 3–33 per plant, 9.0–16 mm long. Calyx 6.0-11.0 mm long, green, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line absent or present; lobes 5.3–9.3 × 1.4–2.1 mm, plane, apices acute, margins smooth or minutely denticulate, sinus hairs absent or sparse. Corolla 9.3–14 mm long, white, sometimes tinted on outside of corolla lobes, veins usually coloured purple or crimson, rarely uncoloured; tube 2.5–4.1 mm long; lobes 5.4–9.9 × 3.2–4.4 mm wide, hairs below sinus absent or present; nectary 0.8–2.0 mm from corolla base. Filaments 5.9–8.0 mm long from corolla base, 0.6–0.7 mm wide. Anthers 1.1–1.3 mm long, anther wall dark red, mouth orange-red, extrorse at anthesis, pollen dull pink. Stigma crimson. Ovules 4–33 per ovary. Capsules 6.2–12.0 mm long.
Similar taxa
G. spenceri are its orbicular leaves with apex rounded, and often with a very slight lobing of the leaf, the unbranched caudex with a single basal rosette of leaves, the short pedicels (1.5–10 mm long), the few pairs of flowering stem leaves (1–3 pairs), the smaller late flowers arising from low on the plant, the pandurate calyx lobes, and the purple corolla veins
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (from Nelson through Westland to about the Whitcombe River)
Habitat
Subalpine Nothofagus forest and associated scrub, forest clearings in such forest, and along ridges
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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- 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
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Gentianaceae
Synonyms
Gentiana spenceri Kirk, Chionogentias spenceri (Kirk) L.G.Adams
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
December – March
Fruiting
January - June
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]
FACU: Facultative Upland
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs 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)
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.
GENSPE
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
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.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (1 November 2004). Description based on Glenny (2004)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Gentianella spenceri Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/gentianella-spenceri/ (Date website was queried)