Gentianella astonii (Petrie) T.N.Ho & S.W.Liu

Plants perennial, bushy, height in flower 40–150 mm, up to 400 mm diam. Caudex branched, 30–240 mm long. Flowering stems lateral only (but diffi cult to fi nd terminal rosette), 3–26 per plant, 1.8–2.3 mm diam., 1.2–2.3 mm diam. when dry, green or purple-black, flowering stem leaves 3–13 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near apex of flowering stem. Leaf rosette absent, flowering stem leaves not different from basal leaves. Leaves 8.6– 32 mm long, 1.1–3.9 mm wide, plane; petiole absent, 1.1–1.5 mm wide at base; apex rounded to acute, not recurved. Pedicels 1 per leaf axil, 0–22 mm long, 0.9–1.4 mm diam. (0.5–1.4 mm diam. when dry). Flowers often solitary on flowering stems, 6–63 per plant, 10–24 mm long. Calyx 5.2–10.0 mm long, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present; lobes 3.5– 6.2 mm long, 1.1–2.3 mm wide at base, green, sometimes tinted purple-black, plane or recurved, apices acute, margins very fi nely toothed or smooth, sinus hairs abundant. Corolla 9.2–15.2 mm long, white, sometimes tinted violet near the apices, veins uncoloured, tube 2.7–5.2 mm long; lobes 6.2–10.8 mm long, 3.9–6.7 mm wide, hairs below sinus absent or present; nectary 1.2–4.3 mm from corolla base, usually with a pocket with an uneven or toothed margin. Filaments 4.0–8.6 mm long from corolla base, 0.5–0.8 mm wide. Anthers 1.1–2.5 mm long, anther wall purple-black or yellow, mouth yellow. Stigma colourless. Ovules 13–30 per ovary. Capsule 7.6–15 mm long.

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