Lobelia glaberrima
Synonyms
None (described in 2008)
Family
Campanulaceae
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.
LOBGLA
Chromosome number
2n = 28
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 | Data Deficient
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (south west Canterbury, Otago, southern Westland and Southland)
Habitat
Alpine and montane habitats. Usually in a wide variety of habitats including snowbanks, tarn and bog margins, herbfield and grassland, rock bluffs, and rock and debris slopes
Features
Creeping, prostrate, glabrous herb; rooting at leaf nodes. Leaves alternate, upright to spreading; lamina 2.5–7.0 × 2.5–8.5 mm, orbicular to broadly orbicular, glabrous or rarely sparsely hairy on margin, green, often flushed red on margin and abaxial surface; margin serrate, a prominent terminal tooth, 5–7 lateral teeth, teeth up to 1.2 mm long, triangular, apex subacute to obtuse, sinus broadly obtuse; petiole 0.5–2.0 × 0.6–0.8 mm, green, often flushed red. Flowers hermaphrodite, axillary, solitary; scent pungent. Peduncle 2.0–4.0 mm long. Calyx with short tube adnate to ovary; lobes 5, 1.4–3.9 × 0.6–1.2 mm, green, narrow triangular to lanceolate; apex subacute. Corolla up to 10.5 mm long in late bud, 6.0–12.0 mm diameter when open, white; tube 3.2–6.0 mm long, 1.9–2.4 mm wide, split to near base; lobes 5, ovate to lanceolate, apex acute to subacute, front three lobes 2.3–4.5 × 1.7–1.9 mm, back two lobes 3.2–4.2 × 1.2–2.7 mm. Nectary 0.5–0.7 mm high, green, glabrous to occasionally sparsely hairy. Ovary 1.8–2.9 × 2.4–2.6 mm, green. Style 5.0–6.9 × 0.5 mm, white, flushed pink. Stigma bilobed, pink, 0.4–0.6 mm diameter Filaments 2.3–4.2 × 0.2–0.4 mm, glabrous or rarely sparsely hairy in lower part, fused below anthers, attached to corolla tube in lower quarter, white, often flushed green. Anthers united into a tube around style, 1.3–2.2 mm long, purple black, curved over at top. Capsule 3.2–6.0 × 3.1–5.3 mm, globose, thin walled, seeds visible through wall, disintegrating with age; apex crowned with persistent style base; base obtuse. Seed elliptic-oblong to broadly elliptic, sometimes slightly compressed, 0.5–0.6 × 0.4–0.5 mm; apex and base obtuse or rounded; margins rounded; testa orange-brown to red-brown, semi-glossy, glabrous, finely reticulate, cells elongate.
Similar taxa
Allied to Lobelia macrodon from which it is distinguished by having narrower calyx lobes, a shorter corolla tube and smaller corolla lobes, shorter stamens with smaller anthers, a smaller ovary with a shorter style, a weakly pungent scent, and a tetraploid (2n = 28) rather than diploid (2n = 14) chromosome number.
Flowering
October - March
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Fruiting
November - May
Propagation technique
Easily grown from rooted pieces and fresh seed. Best in a rock garden or kept in a pot.
Threats
Not Threatened. Previously listed as “Data Deficient” (as Pratia aff. macrodon (AK 255606; Old Man Range) by de Lange et al. (2004).
Etymology
lobelia: Named after Lobel, pioneer botanist
Where To Buy
Not Commercially Available
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (16 August 2008). Description adapted from Knox et al. (2008)
References and further reading
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Heenan, P.B.; Courtney, S.P.; Molloy, B.P.J.; Ogle, C.C.; Rance, B.R.; Johnson, P.N.; Hitchmough, R. 2004, Threatened and uncommon plants on New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42: 45-76.
Knox, E.B.; Heenan, P.B.; Muasya, A.M.; Murray, B.G. 2008: Phylogenetic position and relationships of Lobelia glaberrima (Lobeliaceae), a new alpine species from southern South Island (New Zealand). New Zealand Journal of Botany 46: 77–85
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Lobelia glaberrima Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/lobelia-glaberrima/ (Date website was queried)