Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Gentianella divisa (Kirk) Glenny, New Zealand J. Bot. 42: 486 (2004)
Synonymy:
  • Gentiana bellidifolia var. divisa Kirk, Trans. New Zealand Inst. 27: 337 (1895)
  • Gentiana divisa (Kirk) Cheeseman, Man. New Zealand Fl. 453 (1906)
  • Gentianella bellidifolia var. divisa (Kirk) T.N.Ho & S.W.Liu, 23: 61 (1993)
  • Chionogentias divisa (Kirk) L.G.Adams, Austral. Syst. Bot. 8: 976 (1995)
 Description

Plants monocarpic, biennial, possibly triennial, height in flower (40–)60–150(–200) mm. Caudex unbranched, c. 20 mm long. Root 2–6 mm diam. at stem base. Flowering stem terminal, 1.7–5.0 mm diam. at base, 1.4–4.0 mm diam. when dry, stem colour green, tinted slightly purpleblack, or bronze, lateral branches of the flowering stem erect to decumbent, flowering stem leaves 0–4 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near base of flowering stem to near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves absent to distinct from flowering stem leaves; leaves elliptic or orbicular or obovate or narrowly obovate, 16–65 mm long, 7.5–21 mm wide, green, usually flat, sometimes V-shaped or channelled, slightly recurved or not; petiole indistinct, c. 13 mm long, 2.8–8.0 mm wide at leaf base; leaf apex rounded. Flowering stem leaves narrowly ovate. Pedicels 1 or 2 per leaf axil, 7–50 mm long, 1.0–1.9 mm diam., 0.5–1.2 mm diam. when dry. Flowers 11–60 per plant, 15–20 mm long, often female. Calyx 8.5–11.0 mm long, green or bronze, or green tinted purple-black at lobe apices, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line absent; (4–)5(–7)-lobed, lobes 5.0–9.0 mm long, 2.0–5.0 mm wide at base, plane but surface often rugose, apices acute, margins smooth or minutely denticulate, sinus hairs sparse to abundant. Corolla (4–)5(–6)-lobed, 13.5– 18.6 mm long, white; tube 3.0–5.6 mm long; lobes 10.2–14.5 mm long, 5.2–9.5 mm wide, hairs below sinus present; nectary 0.6–1.9 mm from corolla base. Filaments 8.5–13.4 mm long from corolla base, 0.9–2.4 mm wide. Anthers 1.9–2.8 mm long, anther wall blue-black, mouth yellow or orangered, extrorse at anthesis. Stigma colourless, purple, crimson, or blue. Ovules 29–56(–76) per ovary, ovary yellow or purple-black in maturity. Capsule 15–17 mm long. FL Jan–Mar.

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

 Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
 Bibliography
Adams, L.G. 1995: Chionogentias (Gentianaceae) a new generic name for the Australasian 'snow-gentians' and a revision of the Australian species. Australian Systematic Botany 8: 935–1011.
Cheeseman, T.F. 1906: Manual of the New Zealand Flora. Government Printer, Wellington.
de Lange, P.J.; Heenan, P.B.; Given, D.R.; Norton, D.A.; Ogle, C.C.; Johnson, P.N.; Cameron, E.K. 1999: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 37: 603–628. [as Gentiana divisa (Kirk) Cheeseman]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Barkla J.W.; Courtney, S.P.; Champion, P.D.; Perrie, L.R.; Beadel, S.N.; Ford, K.A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Heenan, P.B.; Ladley, K. 2018: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. No. 22. [Not Threatened]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Champion, P.D.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Norton, D.A.; Hitchmough, R.A. 2013: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 3. Department of Conservation, Wellington. [Not Threatened]
Glenny, D. 2004: A revision of the genus Gentianella in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42(3): 361–530.
Ho, T.N.; Liu, W. 1993: New combinations, names and taxonomic notes on Gentianella (Gentianaceae) from South America and New Zealand. Bull. Nat. Hist.Mus.Lond.(Bot.) 23: 61–65.
Kirk, T. 1895: A Revision of the New Zealand Gentians. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute 27: 330–341.