Montia angustifolia
Common names
montia
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Red/Pink, White
Detailed description
Herb forming diffuse tufted patches or compact mats up to 40 cm diameter . Leaves at first brown to green-brown, maturing red-brown to orange-red, 30 × 1.8 mm, narrowly elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, almost linear. Petiole indistinct, grading into leaf, apex subacute to obtuse. Flowers 8-12 mm diameter. tepals 4-6 × 2-3.5 mm, broadly elliptic to obovate, white flushed pink in bud and when mature, not overlapping, apex obtuse of shallowly notched. Nectary orange-yellow. Stamens with filaments 2-2.5 mm, about half tepal length, white, curved at tips. Anthers 0.8-1 × 0.6-0.7 mm, cream. Ovary 0.6-0.7 × 0.6-0.7 mm, obovoid, red-brown to red-green. Style 1-1.3 mm, flushed pink. Stigmatic branches 1.2 mm long, vivid pink. Capsule 2-2.2 × 2.2-2.3 mm. Seeds dark brown, 1.2-1.4 × 1.1-1.2 mm, slightly to moderately rugose.
Similar taxa
A distinct species easily distinguished from other New Zealand Montia species by the uniformly narrow almost linear leaves, and by the seed size (0.8-1 mm diameter).
Distribution
Endemic. Known only from the South Island, east of the main divide from Nelson to Southland.
Habitat
An inhabitant of the marginal turf communities of lake and tarns.
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 – Declining | Qualifiers: Sp, DPR, DPS, DPT, RR
Threats
Described in 1999. This species has very specific habitat requirements and although unlikely to be threatened, it has a sporadic distribution. Many of the existing herbarium records are from collections made prior to 1980, and some of the habitats from where these collections came are now heavily modified or invaded by taller growing weed species.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Neopaxia lineariifolia Heenan. Previously all the New Zealand Neopaxia had been known as Neopaxia australasica (Hook.f.) O.Nilsson, which is now regarded as an Australian endemic.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November - February
Fruiting
December to March
Propagation technique
Easily grown in pots partially submerged in water and kept weed free. Plants can be grown by the division of whole plants and by seed.
Other information
Etymology
montia: Named after the Italian botanist, Giuseppe Monti (1682-1760);
angustifolia: From the Latin angustus ‘narrow, constricted’ and folius ‘leaf’, meaning narrow-leaved
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.
MONANG
Chromosome number
2n = c.94
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, RR, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Data Deficient
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 | Threatened – Regionally Endangered | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT, NR, NStr, PF, RR
Referencing and citations
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange (1 June 2013).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Montia angustifolia Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/montia-angustifolia/ (Date website was queried)