Family: Gentianaceae,
Gentian
Genus: Gentiana
Description
Plant height: 5-20 cm tall.
Growth habit:
tufted perennial with short rhizomes.
Stems:
one to several, leafy, hairless.
 Leaves: hairless, about 5-10 mm broad, the basal ones
linear- to lance-shaped, 4-12 cm long. Stem leaves
opposite, in 3-5 pairs, lance-shaped, 3-5 cm long, their
bases joined for 5-8 mm.
 Flowers: funnel-shaped, usually in terminal pairs. Corolla
35-50 mm long, white or pale yellowish, with 5 short pointed
lobes, with purple-blotched area from the back of each lobe
nearly to the calyx, with lengthwise fold between each lobe.
Calyx narrowly funnel-shaped, about 2 cm long, usually
purplish-blotched, the tube squared off between the lobes,
which are almost equal, linear to lance-shaped, slightly
keeled,
from half as long to almost equal the tube length.
Flowering time: June-August.
 Fruits: capsules.
Distribution
Moist but well-drained sites in the alpine zone, in s. parts of
MT. Also from CO to AK and in e. Siberia. |
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