Gentianella antarctica (Kirk) T.N.Ho & S.W.Liu

Plants monocarpic, probably biennial, height in flower 16–220 mm. Caudex unbranched, 4–13 mm long. Root unbranched, c. 2 mm diam. at stem base. Flowering stems terminal only, largest fl owering stem c. 2.5 mm diam. at base (1.1–4.0 mm diam. when dry), stem colour green or tinted crimson, fl owering stem leaves 4 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from halfway up fl owering stem. Rosette of leaves distinct from fl owering stem leaves, narrowly elliptic, 11–82 mm long, 3.1–17.6 mm wide, green or tinted purple-black or bronze, flat, apex acute to rounded, not recurved or recurved at tips of smaller leaves; margins recurved, thickened; petiole absent or indistinct, c. 5–11 mm long, 1.6–8.8 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves almost identical to rosette leaves but shorter and wider. Pedicels one or two per leaf axil, 1.6–4.5 mm long, c. 0.5 mm diam., 0.46–0.8 mm diam. when dry. Flowers 9–49 per plant, 7–12 mm long. Calyx 5.5– 7.6 mm long, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present; lobes 4.0–5.9 mm long, 1.2–1.5 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins minutely denticulate, sinus hairs sparse or absent. Corolla (9.5–)10.1– 12.6(–14) mm long, white or coloured pink to dark purple with veins colourless or pink to dark purple; tube 3.0–5.5 mm long; lobes 4.6–8.5 mm long,1.5– 2.4(–2.9) mm wide, hairs below sinus absent; nectary 1.6–3.4 mm from corolla base. Filaments 3.4–7.2 mm long from corolla base, 0.5–0.6 mm wide. Anthers 1.0–1.2 mm long, anther wall blue-black, rarely yellow, extrorse at anthesis. Stigma colour unknown. Ovules 7–27 per ovary. Capsule 8.0–13.2 mm long. FL (Dec–)Jan–Feb(–Apr).

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