Gentianella stevenii
Common names
Charleston gentian
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Detailed description
Tufted perennial plant up to 130 mm tall when flowering. Flowering stems terminal and lateral, tinted crimson, 4-10 per plant. Rosette leaves with distinct petiole 19-30 mm long. Lamina orbicular 35-44 x 10-17.5 mm, green, not recurved, margin not thickened; apex rounded. Pedicels 1 per leaf axil, 1-16 mm long. Flowers 8-38 per plant, 12-15 mm long, perfect, rarely female. Calyx 6-8.2 mm, green; lobes 3.9-5.5 x 1.8-2.4 mm, plane. Corolla 9.5-14.8 mm, white, veins purple; tube 2.6-4.5 mm; lobes 9.6-10.5 x 3.3-5 mm, nectaries 0.7-1.2 mm from corolla base. Filaments 5-7.4 mm from corolla base. Anthers 1-1.5 mm, anther wall blue-black, mouth yellow, extrorse at anthesis. Stigma colourless. Ovules 16-30 per ovary. Capsule 10-11.8 mm.
Similar taxa
Most closely allied to G. saxosa from which it is distinguished by the orbicular leaves, plane calyx lobes, crimson flowering stems, purple corolla veins, and smaller anthers (1-1.5 cf. 2-2.1 mm). It is endemic to northern Westland, whereas G. saxosa occurs from Fiordland and Otago south to Stewart Island.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, west coast, near Charleston
Habitat
Coastal, on rock ledges and associated coastal turfs, often within spray zone
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 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: CD, EF, OL
Threats
Threatened by rock climbing, human traffic (trampling), goats, weeds and habitat deterioration. Previously recorded as Gentiana aff. saxosa (AK 7316; Charleston) in de Lange et al., 2004, Threatened and uncommon plants on New Zealand, New Zealand Journal of Botany 42: 45-76.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Gentianella scopulorum Glenny - nom. illeg.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
(October-) November - February
Fruiting
December - May
Life cycle and dispersal
Seeds dispersed by ballistic projection, wind and water (Thorsen et al., 2009)
Propagation technique
Easy to grow from seed. Does best in a sunny but cool and damp situation. One of the few New Zealand gentians to grow reasonably well in cultivation. Should not be removed from the wild
Other information
Extra information
Under intensive management by the New Zealand Department of Conservation. New populations have been established near Westport. At one time less than 40 plants were known from the wild in two small sites. Story in Issue 34 of Trilepdiea (September 2006).
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)
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 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: CD, DP, EF, OL
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: CD, EF, OL
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: OL, EF, CD
2004 | Threatened – Nationally Critical
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
de Lange, P.J.; Heenan, P.B.; Norton, D.A.; Rolfe, J.R.; Sawyer, J.W.D. 2010: Threatened Plants of New Zealand. Christchurch, Canterbury University Press. 471pp.
Deshmuku, U.B.; Kottaimuthu, R. 2021: A new replacement name for Gentianella scopulorum Glenny (Gentianaceae). Phytotaxa 518: 239–240
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 based on Glenny (2004) (see also de Lange et al. 2010)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Gentianella stevenii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/gentianella-stevenii/ (Date website was queried)