Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Gentianella grisebachii (Hook.f.) T.N.Ho in Ho & Liu, 23: 63 (1995)
Synonymy:
  • Gentiana grisebachii Hook.f. (1844)
  • Gentiana montana f. grisebachii (Hook.f.) Kirk, Trans. New Zealand Inst. 27: 334 (1895)
  • Chionogentias grisebachii (Hook.f.) L.G.Adams, Austral. Syst. Bot. 8: 977 (1995)
  • = Gentiana novae zelandiae J.B.Armstr., Trans. New Zealand Inst. 4: 290 (1872)
  • Gentiana montana f. novae zelandiae (J.B.Armstr.) Kirk, Trans. New Zealand Inst. 27: 334 (1895)
  • Gentiana grisebachii var. novae-zelandiae (J.B.Armstr.) Cheeseman, Man. New Zealand Fl., ed. 2, 727 (1925)
  • = Gentiana matthewsii Petrie, Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 44: 183 (1911 [1912]) – as Gentiana Matthewsii
  • Gentiana grisebachii var. matthewsii (Petrie) Cheeseman, Man. New Zealand Fl., ed. 2, 727 (1925)
  • Gentianella matthewsii (Petrie) T.N.Ho & S.W.Liu, 23: 63 (1993)
  • Chionogentias matthewsii (Petrie) L.G.Adams, Austral. Syst. Bot. 8: 977 (1995)
 Description

Plants monocarpic, biennial, height in flower 40–290 mm. Caudex unbranched, 7–15 mm long. Root 1.4–4.0 mm diam. at stem base. Flowering stems terminal and lateral or lateral only, 2–8 per plant, largest flowering stem 0.6–2.7 mm diam. at base, 0.8–1.5(–3.1) mm diam. when dry, stem green, or tinted crimson-orange, or purple-black, lateral flowering stems erect or decumbent, flowering stem leaves 3–6 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near base of flowering stem to near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves absent from flowering plants, leaves narrowly elliptic or elliptic or ovate, 9.1–65 mm long, 2.3–10.5(–16) mm wide, green or tinted purple-black, flat or V-shaped, not recurved; apex acute or rounded; petiole distinct, 11–18 mm long, 0.7–2.3(–3.6) mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves elliptic, ovate to narrowly ovate. Flowers 3–49 per plant, 6.7–12.5(–20) mm long. Pedicels 1 per leaf axil, 10–80 mm long (elongating after flowering to 17–85 mm), 0.5–1.4 mm diam., 0.4–0.9 mm diam. when dry. Calyx 5.5–11.6 mm long, green, tinted purple-black at the apices, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present; lobes 4.2–7.8 mm long, 0.9–2.6 mm wide at base, plane, apices narrowly acute, margins smooth, sinus hairs absent or sparse. Corolla 6.4–16 mm long, white, occasionally a purple-grey tinting on the corolla lobes, with veins uncoloured, purple or purple-grey; tube 1.5–3.8 mm long; lobes 4.9–12.5 mm long, 2.1–8.6 mm wide, hairs below sinus absent or present; nectary 0.4– 1.2 mm from corolla base. Filaments 3.6–8.6 mm long from corolla base, 0.3–1.1 mm wide. Anthers 0.5–3.4 mm long, anther wall blue-black, rarely pink, mouth yellow, pale orange or orange-red, extrorse, occasionally horizontal at anthesis; pollen yellow or pale orange. Stigma colourless. Ovules 23–72 per ovary. Capsule 7.2–20 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.
Armstrong, J. F. 1872: On some New Species of New Zealand Plants. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute 4: 290–291.
Cheeseman, T.F. 1925: Manual of the New Zealand Flora. Edition 2. Government Printer, Wellington.
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Heenan, P.B.; Courtney, S.P.; Molloy, B.P.J.; Ogle, C.C.; Rance, B.D. 2004: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42(1): 45–76. [as Gentiana matthewsii Petrie]
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.
Petrie, D. 1912 ("1911"): Descriptions of New Native Species of Phanerogams. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 44: 179–187.