Wahlenbergia akaroa
Common names
Akaroa harebell
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Blue, Violet/Purple
Detailed description
Radicate herb, stems branching from the base, somewhat fleshy and brittle, the upper 2/3 of the plant forming a many-flowered much branched multiple panicle. Leaves dark green, sessile, rather fleshy, oblong, obovate-spathulate, oblanceolate, lanceolate to linear, margins obscurely dentate to sharply serrate, more or less undulate, up to 40 × 15 mm. Flowers erect on slender pedicels 50-100 mm long, blue-violet, paler outside, sometimes white. Corolla 18-30 mm diameter, 10-15 mm long, subrotate, broad-petalled, tube saucer shaped, 1 × 5 to 1.5 × 6.0 mm, lobes curving up before spreading, broadly oblanceolate, acute, separate at base, touching or overlapping at widest point, 8 × 5 to 14 × 6 mm. Style thickened and blue at top. Calyx lobes glabrous, 2 × 1 to 4.0 × 1.5 mm, triangular, erect or spreading. Capsules glabrous, 5 × 3 to 6 × 4 mm, obconic with protruding valves. Seeds 0.5 mm long.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from the other radicate New Zealand Wahlenbergia Roth by the very large (20-35 mm diameter) pale blue-violet sub-rotate flowers. Aside from the chromosome number this species is indistinguishable from the Australia W. planiflora P.J.Sm.
Distribution
Endemic. Banks Peninsula
Habitat
Coastal. Found mainly on steep cliffs where it grows in crevices, and also in associated shrubland, and rough pasture in places free from browsing animals.
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, OL
Threats
Accessible plants are at risk from browsing animals. Otherwise this species is abundant within its cliff habitat. It is only listed because it is a narrow range, naturally uncommon endemic.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Campanulaceae
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October - April
Fruiting
November - April
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed. A beautiful plant that responds well to pot cultivation and is ideal for a sunny site in a rockery. Reasonably drought tolerant. prefers a free draining soil.
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Etymology
wahlenbergia: Named in honour of Wahlenberg, a Swedish botanist and author of A Botany of Lapland.
akaroa: From Akaroa, New Zealand
Chromosome number
2n = 72
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, OL
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, OL
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Petterson, J.A. 1997: Revision of the genus Wahlenbergia (Campanulaceae) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 35(1): 9-54.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 12 June 2007. Description from Petterson (1997).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Wahlenbergia akaroa Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/wahlenbergia-akaroa/ (Date website was queried)