Gentianella montana (G.Forst.) Holub

Plants polycarpic or monocarpic and biennial, height in flower (45–)70–570 mm. Caudex unbranched or branched, 10–160 mm long, with leaf scars. Stolons present or absent. Flowering stems single and terminal or multiple and both terminal and lateral, 1–23 per plant; largest flowering stem 1.4–6.1 mm diam. at base, 1.4–4.1 mm diam. when dry, green, tinted crimson, purple-black, or bronze, flowering stems erect from a decumbent base, flowering stem leaves 2–7, lowest pedicels from near the base to near the apex of stem. Rosette of leaves usually distinct, leaves narrow rhomboid, elliptic, or orbicular, 14–98 mm long, 3.5–18 mm wide, flat or V-shaped, not recurved, bronze or crimson below; apex acute or rounded; petiole indistinct or distinct and 9–45 mm long, 1.4–7.5 mm wide at narrowest point. Pedicels 1–2 per leaf axil, 5–38 mm long, 0.8–2.0 mm diam., 0.5–1.1 mm diam. when dry. Flowers 1–49(–120) per plant, 17–20 mm long. Calyx 6.6–11.8 mm long, green or tinted crimson or purple-black, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present; lobes 4.4–9.6 mm long, 1.8–4.0 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins convex, smooth or minutely denticulate, sinus hairs absent or present. Corolla 11–24 mm long, white, veins purple or uncoloured; tube 2.3–5.0 mm long; lobes 10–16 mm long, 5.4–11.3 mm wide, hairs below sinus absent or present; nectary 0.4–1.3 mm from corolla base. Filaments 6–11 mm long from corolla base, 0.6–1.8 mm wide. Anthers 1.7–3.2 mm long, anther wall blueblack, mouth yellow, extrorse, rarely horizontal at anthesis; pollen yellow. Stigma colourless, or blue to violet. Ovules 32–88 per ovary. Capsule 15–28 mm long.

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