Flora of New Zealand Series

Type: W, 4724, Springfield, 6 April 1899.

A translation of Cockayne's description is: Biennial (?) herb c. 15 cm. tall. Stem slender, simple, terete, strict, purplish, 2-striate. Radical lvs rosulate, few, spathulate, ± 2 cm. long, obtuse; cauline lvs in remote opp. pairs, sessile, connate at base, narrowly triangular, ± 1*5 cm. long, acute, margin us. brownish-purple. Fls 3-5, c. 15 mm. diam., in umbels or terminal and solitary; calyx ± 8 mm. long, cut 1/2-? way into 4 subulate, acuminate lobes; corolla 21/2 times as long as calyx, white, deeply cut into obovate, obtuse, very shortly mucronate lobes.

DIST.: "South Island: Canterbury(Growing in tussock steppe of upper part of the Canterbury Plain and the Malvern Hills. L.C."

As seen by me the populations near Springfield are not quite uniform and further study is desirable.

Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 731) gives the distribution as: "SOUTH ISLAND: Probably not uncommon on the eastern side. Marlborough(Pelorus Valley, J. H. Macmahon! Nelson(Hanmer Plains, T.F.C. Canterbury(Common in open tussock country of the upper plains, Malvern Hills, etc., Cockayne! Otago(Locality not stated, Buchanan! Hawea Flat, Petrie! March-April. This appears to be a reduced state of G. corymbifera, of which it has the remarkable calyx. It differs from G. patula in its much smaller size and more slender habit, smaller and narrower flowers, etc."

Cockayne and Allan (T.N.Z.I. 57, 1927, 55) considered: "To us it is one of the most distinct gentians in the flora. The species consists of two jordanons, the one with the corolla-lobes close together and the other with them further apart, the flower of the latter having a somewhat starry appearance. These forms can be readily observed in the field, and one or the other be gathered for certainty."

Simpson and Thomson (T.N.Z.I. 71, 1941, 90) record G. serotina as "Common on Mihiwaka Hill, near Dunedin". They make no reference to the particular form listed.

"This well-marked species perhaps comes nearest to G. patula, but is at once separated by its much more slender habit, smaller flowers, narrow acute cauline leaves and acuminate calyx-lobes, which more resemble those of G. corymbifera Kirk. Also it only flowers in April or the end of March, whereas G. patula blossoms throughout the summer."

The specimens of the type sheet match fairly well. The basal lvs are flaccid, narrow, curved; lamina narrow-spathulate, 15-20 × 3 mm., obtuse, narrowed to slender petiole up to 10 mm. long. Cauline lvs narrow-lanceolate. Umbels 2-3-5-fld. Sinus of calyx-lobes rather broad.