Common name: Cunningham's snow gentian, snow gentian
Gentianella cunninghamii (L.G.Adams) Glenny APNI* Synonyms: Chionogentias cunninghamii L.G.Adams APNI*
Description: Caudex ± rhizomatous, short and robust; internodes 2 -10.
Basal leaves linear-oblanceolate to oblanceolate, 20 - 100 mm long, 6–15 mm wide. Stem leaves linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 20 - 50 mm long, 4 - 10 mm wide.
Flowering stems erect, simple, sparcely branching from base, 10- 55 cm high. Inflorescence terminal, pedicels 2–6 cm long. Flowers 5-merous, to 3.5 cm diam.; calyx lobes ± linear-lanceolate, 6 - 12 mm long, thickened and minutely but densely papillose - scabrid on margins, ± acuminate; corollla white with grey violet veins, tube c. 4 mm long.
Fruit a capsule 15 - 25 mm long; seeds spherical to ovoid, pale orange to greyish or reddish brown.
Flowering: Flowers November to June.
Distribution and occurrence:
NSW subdivisions: CT, ST
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas.
Suspected geographical cline between the subspecies; G cunninghamii subspecies cunninghamii and G. cunninghamii subsp. major.
Text by Louisa Murray
Taxon concept: Adams, L.G. (1995) Chionogentias (Gentianaceae), a new generic name for the Australasian 'snow-gentians' and a revision of the Australian species. Australian Systematic Botany 8(5): 949
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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