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Wahlenbergia albomarginata, commonly known as the New Zealand Bluebell, is a member of the Campanulaceae family, in the order Asterales. Wahlenbergia albomarginata is found throughout the inland east coast of New Zealand's South Island.

Description
There are a number of distinctive features of Wahlenbergia albomarginata; corolla form a 'bell-like' flower, an occurrence which is formally described as 'narrow-campulate-rotate'. Wahlenbergia albomarginata are further defined by corolla colour and leaf characteristics; additionally, a single long tubed flower is produced atop each vertical, naked stem. Corolla ranges from a typical pale-blue colour, to darker violet-blue, with white zoning, or on occasion corolla may be entirely white; venation is distinctly darker in contrast. In spring, flowers may have shorter corolla tubes, the same plant later in the year will typically develop a longer corolla tube.

Approximate flower dimensions: corolla 10–20 mm length, 10–25 mm diameter, corolla tube 4x3–10x6 mm, corolla lobes 6x3–12x5 mm.

Leaves may have a pale underside or be completely concolourous, ranging from yellow-green to red-green in colour. Additionally, all endemic Wahlenbergia species in New Zealand have a glabrous pedicel and calyx, Wahlenbergia albomarginata included though this feature is not diagnostic.

Approximate leaf dimensions: 10x2–40x10 mm

Leaves grow according to conditions; when cultivated or sheltered, leaves grow in radicle, 'rose-like' clusters around the rhizome tips. Dry windswept conditions cause leaves to become stiff and grow in sessile, compact tufts. In the case of low sunlight, left stems may become elongated, with leaves growing in alternate. Leaves are typically petiolate, with entire, dentate or undulate leaf margins which are conspicuously white, and thickened. In cases where teeth are present on leaf margins, they tend to be unremarkable Morphologically, leaves range from linear to elliptic or ovate to obovate, where lamina gradually narrow to the petiole.

Natural global range
New Zealand endemic

New Zealand range
Wahlenbergia albomarginata has been found throughout the inland east coast of the South Island, in the Tasman, Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago and Southland regions; more specifically, Nelson, the Wairau, and Awatere valleys, Molesworth station, Banks Peninsular,Porters pass, Maryburn station, Lindis Pass, Cass riverbed, Queenstown, Arrowtown, Shotover river bed, lower slopes of the Remarkables, Lake Wakatipu, and Stewart Island.

Habitat
Wahlenbergia albomarginata thrives where there is low annual rainfall, in dry, lowland tussock-grassland, river terrace, rocky and sub-alpine habitats.

Life cycle/Phenology
Wahlenbergia albomarginata is a rhizomatous, herbaceous, perennial with an indefinite lifespan; plants in cultivation have been known to survive for 15 years, while those in harsh, wild environments may persist for two years. Seedlings begin as slender tap roots below ground, which later develop into slim, pliable, interlacing rhizome systems. Above ground, leafy shoots emerge from the rootstock, eventually growing in a thin, long stalk with a single flower atop. Wahlenbergia albomarginata is largely self-compatible; successful seed production relies on pollination by insects

Diet and foraging
Wahlenbergia albomarginata grows in well-draining riverside turf, sand, or stony soil.

Predators, Parasites, and Diseases
The leaves of Wahlenbergia albomarginata are sweet and comparable to lettuce, attracting herbivores such as goats and sheep; as a result they no longer grow in areas where grazers frequent. Plants are also susceptible to slug and snail damage. Grasshoppers have been observed chewing flower petals, or entire plants.

Additional information
There are at least 260 species in the Wahlenbergia genus, most of which are found in the Southern hemisphere. Estimates place the dispersal of Wahlenbergia from South Africa to Australasia approximately 4.8 mya. New Zealand species consist of two clades due to species radiation after two proposed dispersals from Australia; one that lead to rhizomatous, herbaceous species, approximately 1.6 mya; another of which resulted in a radiation of species with radicate growth, approx. 0.7 mya.