Wahlenbergia pygmaea subsp. tararua
Common name
Tararua harebell
Synonyms
None.
Family
Campanulaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Chromosome number
2n = 36
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.
2012 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Data Deficient
Distribution
Endemic. North Island. Known only from a few sites in the southern Tararua Ranges.
Habitat
Alpine (> 1100 m a.s.l.). In herbfield, and amongst rocks.
Features
Perennial rhizomatous herb, producing numerous diffuse, rosulate tufts of leaves at ground level. Leaves sessile, 10-20 x 3-5 mm, bright green, glossy, glabrescent, oblanceolate, margins flat, with 9-15 prominent teeth.Flowers erect or nodding on short upright stalks 40-100 mm tall. Calyx lobes 3 x 1.5 mm, glabrous, narrowly triangular. Corolla opaque-white, 30 mm diam. and up to 18 mm long, broadly campanulate with tube as broad or borader than long, lobes 9 x 7 mm, spreading, broadly elliptic-lanceolate, acute. Capsule 10 x 6 mm, glabrous, cylindrical to barrel-shaped, seeds ellipsoid, glossy brown.
Similar taxa
This subspecies is said to differ from the other two W. pygmaea Colenso subspecies (subsp. pygmaea and subsp. drucei J.A.Petterson) by its oblanceolate, flat leaves whose margins are adorned by 9-15 teeth, and by the opaque white flowers. It is the only entity within W. pygmaea known from the Tararua Ranges. However, the foliage distinctions are seen also in W. pygmaea s.s. This taxon warrants further critical study.
Flowering
December - May
Flower colours
White
Fruiting
January - June
Propagation technique
Easily grown from tip cuttings and the division of whole plants. Fresh seed should germinate readily.
Threats
Indications are that this is a naturally uncommon, range-restricted endemic known from only two very small areas.
Etymology
wahlenbergia: Named in honour of Wahlenberg, a Swedish botanist and author of A Botany of Lapland.
pygmaea: Tiny
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Taxonomic notes
Some botanists regard this subspecies as part of the wide range of variation exhibited by W. pygmaea. Further research into its status, and indeed that of the other New Zealand taxa within the genus is needed. For these reasons NZPCN regard this taxon as Data Deficient.
Attribution
Fact Sheet Prepared by P.J. de Lange 12 June 2007. Description adapted from Petterson (1997).
References and further reading
Petterson, J.A. 1997: Revision of the genus Wahlenbergia (Campanulaceae) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botanv 35: 9-54.