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Volume IV (1988) - Flora of New Zealand Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons
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Epilobium L.

EPILOBIUM L.

Erect or creeping herbs, usually perennial, very rarely annual, sometimes woody near base, overwintering and multiplying by leafy rosettes, subterranean or surface runners and stolons, turions or gemmae. Lvs opposite, at least below infl., often lower opposite and upper alternate, occasionally all alternate, rarely verticillate, simple. Fls solitary in lf axils, but sometimes forming a ± definite, terminal, racemose infl., usually actinomorphic, occasionally somewhat zygomorphic; pollen and stigmas ripening together, occasionally markedly protogynous or protandrous. Buds erect to pendulous. Floral tube present or 0, cylindric. Sepals 4, caducous. Petals 4, nearly always white or cream to pink, rose or purple, usually emarginate, sometimes entire, not clawed. Stamens 8, the outer whorl longer; anthers basifixed or dorsifixed. Stigma capitate, clavate, or deeply 4-lobed. Capsule 4-celled, loculicidal, slender. Seeds usually numerous, ± brown, nearly always with terminal, caducous or persistent coma of silky hairs.

Key

1
Lvs opposite below, usually alternate above (at least in the infl.)
2
Lvs all opposite
44
2
Stigma deeply 4-lobed
3
Stigma entire or shallowly 4-lobed
4
3
Stems covered with long, spreading hairs; lvs subsessile
4. *parviflorum
Stems with short, ± appressed hairs; petioles 1-6 mm long
2. *montanum
4
Pedicels erect but sharply arched over at base of ovary at flowering, becoming completely erect at fruiting
18. gracilipes
Individual fls and infls erect or nodding
5
5
Plants with long, spreading eglandular, shorter glandular, and strigillose hairs together on stems and capsules
21. hirtigerum
Plants glabrous or hairy but lacking long, spreading, eglandular hairs
6
6
Lvs light green, conspicuously mottled with darker green; infl. nodding in bud
34. pictum
Lvs uniform green or bluish green, sometimes tinged red; infl. (including those with solitary fls) nodding or erect
7
7
Lvs and infl. densely covered in glandular hairs
8
Lvs and infl. usually with simple hairs, sometimes with some glandular hairs
10
8
Infl. erect; capsules subsessile; plants of scree slopes, South Id
16. forbesii
Infl. nodding in bud; capsules pedicellate; plants of various habitats, North and South Is
9
9
Sepals 5-6.5 mm long; petals 7.3-13 mm long; greywacke cliffs, North Id, local
8. astonii
Sepals 2.5-2.8 mm long; petals 3.5-7 mm long; widespread
36. pubens
10
Capsules mostly glabrous, but with 4 conspicuous grey-strigillose depressions along angles and capsule thus appearing striped dark and light
28. microphyllum
Capsules glabrous or hairy, but not as above
11
11
Pedicels densely grey-strigillose, the hairs ending abruptly at the base of the subglabrous capsule
6. alsinoides
A
Seeds papillose; fruiting pedicel 1-4-(9) cm long
subsp. atriplicifolium
Seeds smooth; fruiting pedicel (1)-2-10 cm long
B
B
B Lvs narrowly elliptic or linear, usually > subtended internodes; capsules often elevated well above leafy stems when ripe
subsp. tenuipes
Lvs ovate, < subtended internodes; capsules often not conspicuously elevated above leafy stems
subsp. alsinoides
Pedicels glabrous or hairy, but the hairs if present not ending abruptly at base of capsule
12
12
Capsules subsessile
39. rostratum
Capsules usually conspicuously pedicellate
13
13
Seeds with an evident cellular rim extending around the body on adaxial side
19. gunnianum
Seeds without a cellular rim
14
14
Seeds papillose in evident lines, with an evident pellucid callus formed from the coalescent bases of the coma
1. *ciliatum
Seeds smooth or papillose, but papillae not in lines; beak 0, or opaque and of same texture as body of seed
15
15
Stems hairy all round; hairs short, erect, bristly; only very uppermost lvs alternate
, 24. macropus
Stems variously hairy but hairs neither all round main part of stem nor all short, erect and bristly; at least all lvs in infl., and frequently some lower on stem, alternate
16
16
Ovary hairy
17
Ovary glabrous
33
17
Hairs on ovary mixed glandular and eglandular, erect or sometimes strigillose
18
Hairs on ovary nearly all erect and glandular, at most a very few eglandular
31
18
Lvs broadly to very broadly ovate
40. rotundifolium
Lvs usually elliptic or lanceolate, rarely ovate or broader
19
19
Seeds 1.4-1.7 mm long; coma grey-brown near base; lvs < subtended internodes
12. chionanthum
Seeds 0.8-1.3 mm long; coma white; lvs > or < than subtended internodes
20
20
Ovary, or at least hypanthium, with some erect glandular hairs
21
Ovary with mostly appressed and strigillose hairs, lacking glandular hairs
23
21
Glandular hairs present only on hypanthium
3. *obscurum
Glandular hairs present on ovary
22
22
Lvs subsessile
9. billardiereanum
A
Lvs narrow-ovate to ovate, densely and regularly serrulate, with usually 16-40 teeth on each side; glandular or erect hairs 0 in the densely grey-strigillose infl.
subsp. billardiereanum
Lvs linear to narrow-ovate, coarsely serrate or serrulate with 1-20 teeth on each side; glandular or erect hairs usually present in infl.
B
B
Lvs linear to narrow-elliptic, 0.15-0.7 cm wide, with 1-6-(8) teeth on each side; style 2.5-9 mm long
subsp. cinereum
Lvs mostly lanceolate, 0.4-1.2 cm wide, with 6-20 teeth on each side; style 1.2-2 mm long
subsp intermedium
Lvs with evident petioles 1-3 mm long
22. insulare
23
Infl. nodding in bud but fls ± erect
31. pallidiflorum
Infl. erect during and after bud stage
24
24
Floral tube with an evident ring of hairs inside
25
Floral tube glabrous inside
26
25
Lvs narrowly lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, evidently decurrent into raised lines on stem; plants forming rosettes near base in autumn
5. *tetragonum
Lvs linear to ovate, subsessile but not decurrent; plants forming leafy stolons near base in autumn
9. billardiereanum
A
Lvs with usually 16-40 teeth on each side
subsp billardiereanum
Lvs with 1-6-(8) teeth on each side
subsp cinereum
26
Lvs broadly elliptic, ovate, or rounded
27
Lvs narrowly elliptic or lanceolate
29
27
Lvs 0.5-4 cm long, with 16-40 teeth on each side
9. billardiereanum subsp billardiereanum
Lvs 0.2-2 cm long, with 0-6 teeth on each side
28
28
Sepals 1.1-1.9 mm long; fruiting pedicel 0.2-1.6 cm long
28. microphyllum
Sepals 2-4.5 mm long; fruiting pedicel 1-10 cm long
6. alsinoides
29
Seeds smooth; capsule 1.8-2.8 cm long; lvs with 0-10 obscure teeth on each side
20. hectorii
Seed papillose; capsule 1.7-7.5 cm long; lvs with 1-20 evident teeth on each side
30
30
Plants low, usually with rather dense, ± clump-forming habit; capsule 1.4-4 cm long; lvs with 0-6 teeth on each side
6. alsinoides
Plants erect and with rather open habit and not clump-forming; capsule 3-7.5 cm long; lvs with 6-20 teeth on each side
9. billardiereanum subsp cinereum
31
Sepals 5-10.5 mm long; petals 10-18 mm long; N. South Id
42. wilsonii
Sepals 2-5.6 mm long; petals 2-11 mm long; widespread
32
32
Infl. erect; petals 7-11 mm long; seeds 1.3-1.7 mm long
13. chlorifolium
Infl. nodding at first; petals 2-5.5 mm long; seeds 0.5-0.7 mm long
40. rotundifolium
33
Petals rose-purple; Subantarctic Is
14. confertifolium
Petals white, sometimes flushed pink, occasionally rose-purple but then not Subantarctic Is
34
34
Lvs ovate; sepals 5-10.5 mm long
42. wilsonii
Lvs elliptic or lanceolate or narrowly ovate; sepals 1.7-4.5 mm long
35
35
Infl. nodding in bud
36
Infl. erect in bud
37
36
Lvs 12-30 × 5-15 mm, with 1-10 teeth on each side; capsule 2.5-5 cm long
26. matthewsii
Lvs 6-20 × 2-5.5 mm, with 3-5 teeth on each side; capsule 0.8-2.2 cm long
41. tasmanicum
37
Fruiting pedicels 0-10 cm long, at least some > 1 cm
38
Fruiting pedicels 0-1 cm long
39
38
Capsule 0.8-2.2 cm long; fruiting pedicel (0.2)-1-4 cm long; seeds 0.8-0.9 mm long
41. tasmanicum
Capsule 1.4-4 cm long; fruiting pedicel 1-10 cm long; seeds (0.8)-0.9-1.2 mm long
6. alsinoides
39
Lvs narrowly oblanceolate to oblanceolate, coarsely serrate
38. pycnostachyum
Lvs elliptic to ovate, subentire to serrate
40
40
Stems usually purplish or black, rarely green; lvs mostly 3-12 mm long, prominently lobed
27. melanocaulon
Stems usually not purplish; lvs 5-26 mm long
41
41
Lvs dull purplish green
35. porphyrium
Lvs shining, often leathery
42
42
Style 1-1.6 mm long; sepals 1.7-3.5 mm long
41. tasmanicum
Style (1.4)-2-2.1 mm long; sepals 1.8-9 mm long
43
43
Stems with evident lines of hairs decurrent from margins of petioles; plants not notably woody near base; seeds papillose; widespread
17. glabellum
Stems glabrous or with few appressed hairs at junction of petioles; plants woody near base; seeds smooth; cliff faces away from coast, N. South Id
10. brevipes
44
Floral tube 3-5 mm deep
25. margaretiae
Floral tube 0.3-3 mm deep
45
45
Stems clothed all round with short, erect, bristly hairs; sepals (3)-4-6 mm long; petals 6.5-12 mm long
24. macropus
Stems glabrous or hairs in lines and usually strigillose; sepals usually 1-4 mm long; petals usually 2-6 mm long
46
46
Capsule densely grey-strigillose
30. nummulariifolium
Capsule glabrous of if hairy then still appearing green, brown, or reddish brown
47
47
Lvs sharply serrate with 5-14 teeth on each side
32. pedunculare
Lvs entire, serrulate or serrate with a few distant teeth on each side
48
48
Lvs 1.2-4 cm long, oblanceolate to narrowly obovate; sepals 4-4.8 mm long; plants entirely glabrous
15. crassum
Lvs 0.1-1.2-(1.6) cm long, mostly ovate, obovate, often broadly so, or orbicular; sepals usually 1-4 mm long; plants glabrous or hairy
49
49
Stems with well marked lines of strigillose hairs
50
Stems glabrous or with only a few hairs
51
50
Capsule with glandular hairs; lvs rugose-impressed; seeds with an evident pale cellular rim around body
7. angustum
Capsule glabrous except for a few very short erect hairs along sutures; lvs plane; seed without cellular rim
11. brunnescens
A
Lvs broadly ovate or very broadly ovate, rounded or obtuse, or rarely acute at apex; fls usually sightly drooping at anthesis
subsp. brunnescens
Lvs narrowly ovate, or ovate to broadly elliptic, acute, or rarely obtuse at apex; fls usually erect at anthesis
subsp. minutiflorum
51
Stems purplish black; lvs 4-16 mm long, thick
37. purpuratum
Stems brown or greenish; lvs 1.5-12 mm long, very thick to rather thin
52
52
Lvs rugose with veins conspicuously impressed on upper surface; seeds smooth
53
Lvs rather smooth with veins inconspicuous on upper surface; seeds papillose
54
53
Seeds without cellular rim; mature capsules glabrate, smooth
23. komarovianum
Seeds with evident pale cellular rim; mature capsules with glandular hairs, finely torulose
7. angustum
54
Plants of alpine or subalpine habitats, occasionally descending down stream banks on St., with thick, shining lvs with conspicuous median depression; sepals 2.4-4.8 mm long
33. pernitens
Plants of shaded stream sides with thin, dull, plane lvs; sepals 1-3.1 mm long
29. nerteroides

c. 163 spp., mainly temperate and montane tropical regions. Native spp. 37, naturalised 5.

Many willow herbs are alpine, subalpine, montane and submontane plants of rocky sites, screes, riverbeds and similar pioneer habitats. The information for both indigenous and introduced spp. is mainly taken from Raven, P. H. and Raven, T. E., The Genus Epilobium (Onagraceae) in Australasia: a Systematic and Evolutionary Study (1976).

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