Class
Order
Family
Genus
Classification
Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Libertia cranwelliae Blanchon, B.G.Murray & Braggins, New Zealand J. Bot. 40: 441-442 (2002)
Description
Plants consisting of leafy fans crowded or emerging at intervals from far-spreading horizontal stolons; stolons c. 3–5 mm diam., bright yellow. Leaves 150–900 mm × 5–11 mm, the two surfaces similar; inclined to turn yellow where exposed to full sun; leaf bases yellow; nerves many, median ones crowded to form a midrib; margins not scabrid, leaf in transverse section convex lensshaped, two rows of vascular bundles present, marginal vascular bundles present, sclerenchyma present on inside of leaf sheath. Peduncles long (2/3 the length of inflorescence) but inflorescences short (2/3 the length of the leaves), flowers and fruits not usually reaching top of leaves. Panicle narrow, sparsely branched; lower bracts long (180– 250 mm), lanceolate and orange-green, upper bracts smaller and membranous brown, occurring singly; 1–3 flowers per branch. Pedicels stout, 5–16 mm long, glabrous. Flower bud sometimes yellowish or brown, usually similar size to ovary sometimes smaller, flowers 20–35 mm diam.; tepals all white internally, widely patent; outer tepals usually > ½ the length of the inner, narrower, elliptical, flattened, with an apiculus; inner tepals oval-elliptical, shortly unguiculate, not usually covering outer tepals, cleft at tip. Staminal filaments very shortly connate; anthers c. 3 mm long, yellow, pollen sacs broad, connective narrow; pollen ellipsoidal, monosulcate, 28.5–38.0 × 19.0–31.4 µm. Ovary yellowish green, ribbed cupiform, equal to or larger than perianth bud; style branches not winged, pointing outwards. Capsule large, often 20 mm long, barrel-shaped, ripening from green to yellow-orange to black, usually indehiscent, although apex may split slightly. Seeds dispersed when capsule disintegrates. Seeds c. 1.5 mm × 1.5 mm, globose to angular, surface texture reticulate-foveolate, orange-brown in colour. FL Sep–Nov; FR Jan–Dec.
[Reproduced from Blanchon et al. (2002, New Zealand J. Bot. 40: 437–456) with permission from The Royal Society of New Zealand.]
Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
Bibliography
Blanchon, D. J.; Murray, B. G.; Braggins, J. E. 2002: A taxonomic revision of Libertia (Iridaceae) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 40: 437–456.
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Hitchmough, R.; Townsend, A.J. 2009: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand (2008 revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 47: 61–96. [Nationally Critical]
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. [Nationally Critical]
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. [Nationally Critical]
