Gentianella magnifica (Kirk) Glenny

Plants monocarpic or polycarpic, biennial or perennial, height in flower 75–190 mm. Caudex unbranched, 70–80 mm long. Root 8–13 mm diam. at stem base and 400–800 mm long. Flowering stems terminal and lateral, 10–40 per plant, terminal flowering stem 5.7–7.3 mm diam. at base, green; lateral flowering stems erect; flowering stem leaves 2–6 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near apex of flowering stems. Rosette of leaves absent from flowering plants, lower stem leaves narrowly elliptic, 35–105 mm long, 10.0–15.5 mm wide, green, margins sometimes crimson, flat or channelled, apex acute; petiole absent, leaves 4.4– 9.2 mm wide at base. Flowering stem leaves narrowly ovate. Pedicels 1 per leaf axil, 10–52 mm long, 1.4–1.5 mm diam. Flowers 45–220(–256) per plant, 19–26 mm long. Calyx 12.3–20 mm long, green, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line absent or present; lobes 8.5–10.0(–14.5) mm long, 4.3–5.4 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins smooth, sinus hairs abundant. Corolla 17.2–24.5 mm long, white, veins uncoloured; tube 4.7–8.1 mm long; lobes 12.4–16.4 mm long, 8.0–10.8 mm wide, hairs below sinus present; nectary 1.6–3.3 mm from corolla base. Filaments 10.7–16 mm long from corolla base, 1.2–1.5 mm wide. Anthers 2.0–2.9 mm long, anther wall blue-black, mouth yellow, extrorse at anthesis; pollen yellow. Stigma colourless. Ovules 9–23(–37) per ovary, ovary turning dark purple in maturity. Capsule 19–25 mm long. Seeds 1.1–1.5 mm diam. FL Mar.

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