Montia angustifolia
Common names
montia
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.
Family
Montiaceae
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.
MONANG
Chromosome number
2n = c.94
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) – 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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. 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. 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
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Data Deficient
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.
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).
Flowering
November - February
Flower colours
Red/Pink, White
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.
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.
Etymology
montia: Named after the Italian botanist, Giuseppe Monti (1682-1760);
angustifolia: From the Latin angustus ‘narrow, constricted’ and folius ‘leaf’, meaning narrow-leaved
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)