''Epilobium glabellum'', or willowherb, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of flowering plant,

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Description

''Epilobium glabellum'' can grow as a small bush or in mats, with many stems coming from a single taproot. The stems themselves can be hairy, but the capsules and floral tubes are glabrous. The leaves are close-set and opposite along most of the stem, and sometimes overlapping, with tiny margins. The flowers are white, purple or pink after pollination and appear from November to May. The seeds are

anemochorous In spermatophyte plants, seed dispersal is the movement, spread or transport of seeds away from the parent plant. Plants have limited mobility and rely upon a variety of dispersal vectors to transport their seeds, including both abiotic vectors, ...

, meaning dispersed by the wind, possibly from sites as far as 50 km away.

Distribution and habitat

''Epilobium glabellum'' is known from the

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

. It can grow on stony ground at altitude near glaciers. They are early colonisers of screefields.

Etymology

''Glabellum'' is Latin for '

glabrous Glabrousness () is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes, or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of a plant or animal, or be due to loss because of a physical condition, ...

', meaning 'hairless'.

Taxonomy

''Epilobium glabellum'' has three distinct forms, which are thought to have evolved for specific habitat usage. These forms have at times led to multiple descriptions of ''E. glabellum.''

References

Endemic flora of New Zealand glabellum {{Myrtales-stub