Gentianella angustifolia Glenny

Plants polycarpic, height in flower 110–300(–360) mm. Caudex branched (6–8 times), 45–150 mm long, covered in a brown shaggy layer of dead leaf bases, stolons absent. Root 2.4–8.5 mm diam. at stem base. Flowering stems lateral only, (1–)4–10 per plant, largest fl owering stems 1.4– 3.5 mm diam. at base, stems purple-black, decumbent, stem leaves 2–3 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from halfway up to near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves present and distinct from flowering stem leaves, leaves narrowly elliptic or elliptic, (23–)25–110(–161) mm long, (6.4–)10–16(–30) mm wide, green, sometimes tinted purple-black on the margins, flat; petiole absent or indistinct, leaf 3.6–7.6 mm wide at narrowest point, sometimes with a V-shaped petiole; apex acute or rounded. Pedicels one or two per leaf axil, 10–80 mm long, 1.0–1.8 mm diam. Flowers (3–)10–43(–48) per plant, 18–25 mm long. Calyx (9–)12–18 mm long, green, sometimes tinted purple-black on margins, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present, rarely absent; lobes (5.6–)8.0–12.5 mm long, (2.6–)3.1–5.6 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins smooth or minutely denticulate, sinus hairs sparse to abundant, with tips often purple. Corolla 14.2–24.5(–27) mm long, white; tube 3.9–5.8(–6.2) mm long; lobes 10.3–15.6 mm long, 6.4–13 mm wide, hairs below sinus present or absent; nectary (0.6–)0.9–1.4(–2.9) mm from corolla base. Filaments 7.9–12.3 mm long from corolla base, 0.8–1.4(–1.5) mm wide. Anthers 1.9–3.9 mm long, anther wall blue-black, mouth yellow, extrorse at anthesis; pollen yellow. Female flowers absent. Stigma colourless. Ovules 35–80 per ovary. Capsule 18–22 mm long. FL Feb.

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