Flora of New Zealand Series

Campanula gracilis Forst. f. Prodr. 1786, 15.

Type locality: Queen Charlotte Sound? Type: Göttingen, G. Forster.

Short-lived taprooted perennial herb (annual under adverse conditions) sts woody at base, up to c. 4 dm. tall. Stems us. rather slender, much-branched to simple, glab. to hispid-pilose near base. Lvs subdimorphic, sessile, sts amplexicaul, of diverse size and shape in the ∞ forms; alt. to subopp. Lower lvs (basal us. rosulate, soon falling) ± 1-4 cm. × 2-8 mm., of broad- to linear-spathulate to obovate order, sinuate to undulate, serrate-dentate to entire, pilose to glab. or nearly so; margins thickened, sts distinctly cartilaginous. Upper lvs us. of linear to lanceolate order. Peduncle simple or sparingly to much branched, pedicels long; bracts linear. Fls up to 2 cm. diam., us. smaller; calyx us. narrowly 5-lobed, persistent, lobes (and receptacle) glab. Corolla us. rotate to campanulate, white to pale blue, sts dark blue. Capsule us. 6-10 mm. long, obconic, us. distinctly ribbed.

DIST.: K., Three Kings, N., S., St., Ch. Common throughout in coastal to lower montane grassland and open places.

FL.- FT. 9-4.

The above is a generalized description to indicate the range of forms at present attributed to this aggregate sp. Lothian (Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 71, 1947, 212) places W. gracilis (Forst. f.) Schrad. under W. marginata (Thunb.) A. DC. (type locality Japan). This is followed by Hatch (T.R.S.N.Z. 79, 1952, 368) who says: "Both Lothian and the writer consider this latter [i.e. the N.Z.] plant to be allied to but distinct from the New Caledonian "gracilis" jordanon and suggest for it the name: Wahlenbergia marginata var. australis Hh. n. nom.  Syn. W. gracilis Cheesmn. and others (not of Forst. f.). Since it is probable that more than one jordanon of this species occurs in New Zealand, it is as well to define var. australis as the common blue-flowered plant which is to be found about Auckland, Wellington and New Plymouth. The type locality is Laingholm and type material has been deposited in the Auckland Museum." No Latin description is given.

The type of Forster's Campanula gracilis was kindly lent by Dr. Firbas. This bears a large label, brownish with age, which is likely to be Forster's own: "52 Campanula gracilis, Prodr. 84". There is a smaller white label: "Campanula gracilis Forst. Prodr. n. 84.  Wahlenbergia gracilis DC. In Nova Zealandia leg. Forster. D.I. Forster." There is no mention of New Caledonia. Lothian, however, (Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 71, 1947, 213) says: [Wahlenbergia gracilis] "Type collected by G. Forster in New Caledonia, preserved in the herbarium of the University of Göttingen, Germany." Dr. Firbas states that there are no specimens of Wahlenbergia or Campanula from New Caledonia in the Herbarium of the University of Göttingen.

Forster (Prodr. 1786, 15) says only: "84. C. gracilis, foliis lineari-lanceolatis obsolete serratis, caule dichotomo, floribus solitariis terminalibus. F. Nova Zeelandia et Nova Caledonia." The type is an ample specimen in very good order. Forsterian specimens at K and P agree very well with the type.

W. ramosa Simpson in T.R.S.N.Z. 75, 1945, 196 was described as: "A much branched, dark green, decumbent plant . . . Stems numerous, 20-50 cm. long, glabrous, conspicuously ribbed. Leaves alternate, or sometimes sub-opposite, somewhat remote, 1-2 cm. long, 2-5 mm. broad, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, entire, sessile . . . upper leaves smaller, subulate, with 1-4 short bristle like teeth on each margin. Pedicels 5-8 cm. long, naked, stiff. Flowers 1 cm. diam., pale lilac, fading to white; calyx obcuneate, 6 mm. long, 5 partite to midlength, glabrous, teeth subulate, corolla lobes obovate-oblong, acute. Capsule 8 mm. long, 5 mm. diam., obconical, narrowed to the pedicel."

Described from plants in cultivation collected at Seatoun, Wellington, by Mrs. W. W. Samson. Type: BD 50062, originally from Seatoun, Wellington.

The type and other plants hardly justify separation from W. gracilis even as a variety.

W. rupestris Simpson in T.R.S.N.Z. 79, 1952, 431 was described as: "A pale green perennial with many decumbent stems form a stout rootstock or with the rhizomes spreading and branching openly. . . . Stems 40-50 cm. long, 1 mm. diam., faintly ribbed, branching and rebranching, everywhere minutely glandular pubescent. Leaves sessile, varying in shape and size, the lower one usually linear-obovate or linear-spathulate, obtuse, 3-4 cm. long, 4 mm. broad, the upper linear, 1-2 cm. long, 2-3 mm. broad or the uppermost filiform, acute, obscurely and irregularly toothed, dotted on both sides with coarse hairs; margins ciliate. Flowers ± 1 cm. diam., white; calyx segments subulate; corolla lobes broadly ovate, acute. Capsule 7 mm. long, 3 mm. diam., obconical. Seed minute, slightly flattened, dark brown and shiny. Habitat: Hard-packed silt amongst rock. Type specimen(from schist rock at Alexandra". Type: BD 76430. "On the Otago Peninsula and in near coastal stations a little to the north a similar form is common. There it is slender in exposed situations and robust in shade. Seedlings of the species develop usually in rock crevices where a lateral spread is prevented. A stout rootstock is formed from which many closely placed stems arise. In loose material the development is by spreading and branching rhizomes with the stems openly placed in the manner previously [T.R.S.N.Z. 75, 1945, 195] noted for W. matthewsii."

The type specimen has ∞ wiry crowded smooth stems from the multicipital stock. It does not appear satisfactorily separable from the other large specimens approaching the type of W. gracilis.