The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Wahlenbergia pygmaea subsp. drucei

Etymology

Wahlenbergia: Named in honour of Wahlenberg, a Swedish botanist and author of A Botany of Lapland.
pygmaea: tiny
drucei: after A.P. Druce, one of New Zealand's most respected field botanists

Common Name(s)

Mountain harebell, Egmont harebell

Current Conservation Status

2009 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2004 - Range Restricted

Authority

Wahlenbergia pygmaea subsp. drucei J.A.Petterson

Family

Campanulaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Wahlenbergia pygmaea Colenso subsp pygmaea

Distribution

Mount Egmont, Taranaki

Habitat

Montane to alpine. Inhabiting semi-consolidated volcanic grit, where it is usually a pioneer at the foot of a scree or similar bare eroded site. Also colonising white lichen beds (Stereocaulon ramulosum) at lower altitudes on consolidated gravel along the Stony River

Features

Perennial rhizomatous herb with rosulate tufts of leaves at ground level. Leaves bright green, glossy, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs, petiolate; lamina orbicular-spathulate, 10 × 3 to 20 × 5 mm. Leaf margin crenate-serrate, often undulate, teeth conspicuous. Flowers usually insect-pollinated, some forms self-fertile; erect or nodding on short upright scapes, 40-100 mm tall, which may be naked or 1-2-bracted. Corolla pale blue with creamy-white central band in each petal; up to 30 mm diameter, up to 18 mm long, broadly campanulate with tube as broad as or broader than long, lobes c.9 × 7 mm, spreading, broadly elliptic-lanceolate, acute. Calyx lobes c.3.0 × 1.5 mm, glabrous, narrow-triangular. Capsule c.10 × 6 mm, glabrous, domed cylindrical to plump barrel-shaped. Seeds ellipsoid, glossy brown.

Similar Taxa

Differs from subsp. pygmaea by its restriction of Mt Taranaki; by its spathulate leaves which are conspicuously toothed along the margins; and by the flowers which are pale blue with a creamy-white central band in each petal.

Flowering

November January

Flower Colours

Blue,White

Fruiting

December - February

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from tip cuttings and the division of whole plants. Fresh seed germinates readily.

Threats

A Naturally Uncommon range-restricted endemic that is abundant within the montane to alpine areas of Mt Taranaki. There are no known threats.

Chromosome No.

2n = 36

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 9 Aug 2016