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

Plants monocarpic, biennial, height in flower (85–)100–270 mm. Caudex unbranched, 20–100 mm long, stolons absent. Root 2.0–3.1 mm diam. at stem base. Flowering stems terminal and lateral, 1–7 per plant, largest flowering stem 2.0– 3.3 mm diam. at base, 1.9–2.7 mm diam. when dry, green or tinted crimson, lateral flowering stems erect, flowering stem leaves 1–3 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near base of flowering stem or halfway up flowering stem. Rosette of leaves present and distinct from flowering stem leaves, leaves elliptic, orbicular, obovate, or ovate, 25–80(–93) mm long, 13.0–22 mm wide, green or tinted crimson below or tinted purple-black, flat or with petiole V-shaped, sometimes very shallowly 2- or 3-lobed, sometimes recurved at the apex, leaf apex usually rounded, occasionally acute or retuse, petiole absent to distinct, 15–53 mm long, 2.0–5.8 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves orbicular with shorter petioles than rosette leaves or sessile. Pedicels 1 or 2 per leaf axil, 1.5–10 mm long, 1.0–1.2 mm diam., 0.4–0.7 mm diam. when dry. Flowers 3–33 per plant, 9.0–16 mm long. Calyx 6.0–11.0 mm long, green, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line absent or present; lobes 5.3–9.3 mm long, 1.4–2.1 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins smooth or minutely denticulate, sinus hairs absent or sparse. Corolla 9.3–14 mm long, white, sometimes tinted on outside of corolla lobes, veins usually coloured purple or crimson, rarely uncoloured; tube 2.5–4.1 mm long; lobes 5.4–9.9 mm long, 3.2–4.4 mm wide, hairs below sinus absent or present; nectary 0.8–2.0 mm from corolla base. Filaments 5.9–8.0 mm long from corolla base, 0.6–0.7 mm wide. Anthers 1.1–1.3 mm long, anther wall dark red, mouth orange-red, extrorse at anthesis, pollen dull pink. Stigma crimson. Ovules (4–)22–33 per ovary. Capsules 6.2–12.0 mm long. FL (Dec–)Jan–Feb(–Mar).

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