Classification
Class
Magnoliopsida Brongn.
Order
Myrtales Juss. ex Bercht. & J.Presl
Family
Onagraceae
Genus
Epilobium L.
 Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Epilobium nerteroides A.Cunn., Ann. Nat. Hist. 3: 32 (1839) – as nerterioides
Synonymy:
Original material (according to the protologue): "New Zealand (Northern Island). Bogs, near the Kana-Kana river, bay of Islands. – 1826, A. Cunningham". Type: Allan (1961: 261) stated the type locality as "Bogs near the Kana Kana [Kawakawa – P.dL.] river, Bay of Islands. Type: BM. There are 3 imperfect specimens at K that very doubtfully belong here". Raven and Raven (1976: 274) typified the name using a K specimen: "Bogs near the Kana Kana [Kawakawa] River, Bay of Islands, North Auckland, New Zealand, 1826, Allan Cunningham 541 (K)".
  • = Epilobium pedunculare var. aprica Hausskn., Monogr. Epilobium 303 (1884)
  • = Epilobium nummulariifolium var. ovatum Kirk, Stud. Fl. New Zealand 174 (1899)
  • = Epilobium pedunculare var. viride Cockayne, Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 50: 173 (1917 [1918])
 Description

Loosely matted, creeping, stem-rooting herb forming patches up to 0.4 m across, glabrous or rarely the stems with a very few strigillose hairs in lines decurrent from margins of petioles. Lamina of lf broadly elliptic to ovate, (3)–4–11 × (2)–3–8 mm. Floral tube 0.5–1.1 mm deep, sparsely strigillose outside. Petals usually white, rarely pale pink, 2.5–5.3 × 1.5–4 mm. Capsule glabrous, (1.5)–2–4.2 cm long; fruiting pedicel (2.7)–3.5–9–(15) cm long.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

 Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
 Phenology

Flowering: Oct.–Jan.

 Bibliography
Cockayne, L. 1918: Notes on New Zealand floristic botany, including descriptions of new species, etc. (No. 3). Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 50: 161–191.
Cunningham, A. 1839: Florae insularum Novae Zelandiae precursor; or a specimen of the botany of the islands of New Zealand. Annals of Natural History 3: 29–34.
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Barkla J.W.; Courtney, S.P.; Champion, P.D.; Perrie, L.R.; Beadel, S.N.; Ford, K.A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Heenan, P.B.; Ladley, K. 2018: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. No. 22. [Not Threatened]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Champion, P.D.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Norton, D.A.; Hitchmough, R.A. 2013: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 3. Department of Conservation, Wellington. [Not Threatened]
Haussknecht, H.C. 1884: Monographie der Gattung Epilobium. Jena.
Kirk,T. 1899: The Students' Flora of New Zealand and the Outlying Islands. Government Printer, Wellington, N.Z.
Mosyakin, S.L.; de Lange, P.J.; Antonenko, S.I.; Klimovych, N.B. 2020: Types and other historical specimens of Allan and Richard Cunningham's taxa of Epilobium and Fuchsia (Onagraceae) from New Zealand in the Turczaninow Herbarium at the National Herbarium of Ukraine (KW). Ukrainian Botanical Journal 77(4): 249–269.
Raven, P.H.; Raven, T. E. 1976: The Genus Epilobium (Onagraceae) in Australasia: a Systematic and Evolutionary Study. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 216: 1–321.