Gentianella amabilis (Petrie) Glenny

Plants polycarpic, height in flower 30–80–130 mm. Caudex unbranched, c. 80 mm long. Root unbranched, 1.5–6.0 mm diam. at stem base. Flowering stems lateral only, 1–5 per plant, 1.1–2.0 mm diam. at base, stems tinted purple-black; lateral fl owering stems erect or decumbent; fl owering stem leaves 1–4 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near apex of fl owering stem. Rosette of leaves distinct from flowering stem leaves; leaves narrowly elliptic or elliptic, (10–)20–46(–52) mm long, 3.5–12.0 mm wide, tinted crimson below or tinted purple-black and speckled purple, channelled (petiole channelled also), not recurved, petiole indistinct to distinct, 9.5–12.5 mm long, 1.0–4.1 mm wide; apex acute or rounded. Flowering stem leaves as for rosette leaves but the upper ones sessile. Pedicels one per leaf axil, 3–37 mm long, 1.2–1.5 mm diam. Flowers 1–3.4–8 per plant, 15–23 mm long. Calyx 7.5–14.2 mm long, green tinted purple-black, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line absent or present; lobes 4.5–9.5 mm long, 3.1–4.7 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins smooth or minutely denticulate, sinus hairs sparse. Corolla 11.8–22.5 mm long, white; tube 3.5–6.0 mm long; lobes 9.7–16 mm long, 5.8–10.6 mm wide, hairs below sinus absent or present; nectary 0.8–1.2–1.8 mm from corolla base. Filaments 7.5–13 mm long from corolla base, 0.9–2.0(–2.6) mm wide. Anthers 1.7–3.0 mm long, anther wall blue-black, mouth yellow, extrorse at anthesis; pollen yellow. Stigma colourless. Ovules 28–56 per ovary. Capsule 20–27 mm long. FL late Jan–late Feb.

[Reproduced from Glenny (2004, New Zealand J. Bot. 42: 361-530) with permission from The Royal Society of New Zealand.]