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• Taxonomy
• Physical Description
• Distribution
• Growth
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
• More Info
• Notes
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Taxonomy

Notes:

Publishing author: King ex Hook.f. Publication: Ic. Pl. t. 1441

A tentatively accepted name in the RHS Horticultural Database.

Physical Description

Family Gentianaceae:

Herbs [shrubs or small trees], annual, biennial, or perennial. Stems ascending, erect, or twining. Leaves opposite, less often alternate or whorled, simple, base connate; stipules absent. Inflorescences simple or complex cymes, sometimes reduced to sessile clusters, often in a thyrse or 1-flowered. Flowers bisexual, rarely unisexual, 4 or 5 (or 6-8) [-12]-merous. Calyx tubular, obconic, campanulate, or rotate, lobes joined at least basally. Corolla tubular, obconic, salverform, funnelform, campanulate, or rotate, rarely with basal spurs; lobes overlapping to right or rarely valvate in bud; plicae (extensions of the corolla tube between the lobes) present or absent. Stamens inserted on corolla tube or occasionally at sinus between corolla lobes, alternate with lobes; anthers basifixed or dorsifixed, 2-locular. Nectaries absent or attached to ovary base or corolla. Ovary usually 1-locular at least apically, rarely 2-locular due to intrusion of a lamellate placenta into locular cavity. Fruit a 2-valved capsule, rarely a berry. Seeds many or rarely few, small; endosperm abundant [scant in saprophytic genera].

About 80 genera and 700 species: worldwide; 20 genera and 419 species in China, of which two genera and 251 species are endemic.^[1]

Genus Gentiana:

Herbs annual, biennial, or perennial. Rootstock with a fibrous primary root and secondary rootlets, with a stout ± fleshy or woody taproot, or with several linear-cylindric roots from a collar. Stems ascending to erect, striate or angled, in perennial species sometimes both flowering and vegetative. Leaves opposite, rarely whorled, sometimes forming a basal rosette. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, 1 to few-flowered cymes, sometimes in terminal clusters and/or axillary whorls. Flowers (4 or) 5- (or 6-8) -merous. Calyx lobes filiform to ovate, with a prominent midvein. Corolla tubular, salverform, funnelform, obconic, or urceolate, very rarely rotate; tube usually much longer than lobes; plicae between lobes. Stamens inserted on corolla tube; filaments basally ± winged; anthers free or rarely contiguous. Glands 5-10 at ovary base. Pistil sessile or on a long gynophore. Style usually short, linear, less often long and filiform; stigma lobes free or connate, recurved, usually oblong to linear, rarely expanded and rounded. Capsule cylindric to ellipsoid and wingless or narrowly obovoid to obovoid (narrowly ellipsoid in G. winchuanensis) and winged, many seeded. Seeds wingless or winged; seed coat minutely reticulate, rugose, simply areolate, or with complex spongy areolation.

About 360 species: NW Africa (Morocco), America, Asia, E Australia, Europe; 248 species in China.^[2]

Flowers: Bloom Period: July, August. • Flower Color: near white, white

Distribution

Growth

Culture: Space 12-15" apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 6.6 • Maximum pH: 7.8

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b. (map)

Similar Species

Members of the genus Gentiana:

There are approximately 2,244 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: G. acaulis angustifolia · G. affinis rusbyi · G. albicalyx globosa · G. albomarginata scytophylla · G. alsinoides scabrifilamenta · G. angustifolia corbariensis · G. arethusae delicatula · G. argentea albescens · G. argentea alii · G. aristata asparagoides · G. asclepiadea schistocalyx · G. autumnalis pennelliana · G. baeuerlenii bredboensis · G. bavarica subacaulis · G. borneensis apoensis · G. borneensis malayana · G. calycosa asepala · G. calycosa typica · G. capitata harwanensis · G. carinicostata sclerophylla · G. cephalantha vaniotii · G. choanantha curvianthera · G. chungtienensis macraucena · G. chungtienensis subuniflora · G. ciliata blepharophora · G. clarkei conduplicata · G. clusii corbariensis · G. clusii pyrenaica · G. crassa rigescens · G. crassuloides curviphylla · G. crassuloides mailingensis · G. crassuloides nyingchiensis · G. damyonensis hicksii · G. decorata leucantha · G. flavomaculata tatakensis · G. forrestii yakumontana · G. froelichii zenarii · G. gentilis eurycolpa · G. grata burmensis · G. handeliana erectosepala · G. helophila dolichocalyx · G. langbianensis kerriana · G. leptoclada australis · G. linearis rubricaulis · G. loureirii napulifera · G. lutea aurantiaca · G. lutea montserratii · G. macgregoryi piundensis · G. macrophylla fetisowii · G. maeulchanensis kunmingensis · G. marginata nasirii · G. micans kwansiensis · G. microdonta omeiensis · G. microdonta phyllopoda · G. muscicola lacinulata · G. nudicaulis lakshnakarae · G. nudicaulis ting-nung-hoae · G. otophora sichitoensis · G. ovatiloba michoacana · G. pedata xingrenensis · G. pedicellata glabriuscula · G. pedicellata zeylanica · G. piasezkii pubicaulis · G. pneumonanthe nopscae · G. praticola greenwayae · G. primuliflora melvillei · G. prostrata americana · G. prostrata nutans · G. prostrata podocarpa · G. pseudosquarrosa ludingensis · G. pubigera ninglangensis · G. pubigera pubiflora · G. pulvinarum subtilis · G. recurvata prainii · G. riparia daochengensis · G. rubicunda biloba · G. rubicunda delicata · G. rubicunda filisepala · G. rubicunda samolifolia · G. scabra australis · G. scabrida itzershanensis · G. scabrida luzoniensis · G. septemfida grossheimii · G. septemfida kolakovskyi · G. septemfida overinii · G. stipitata tizuensis · G. stylophora yunnanensis · G. terglouensis schleicheri · G. trichotoma chingii · G. tricolor syringea · G. umbellata longicarpa · G. vandellioides baoxingensis · G. vandellioides yiliangensis · G. verna arctica · G. verna delphinensis · G. verna pumila · G. verna schleicheri · G. verna sierrae · G. verna willkommiana · G. vernayi atropurpurea

Bibliography

• Ho Ting-nung; Liu Shang-wu, & Wu Ching-ju in Ho Ting-nung, ed. 1988. Gentianaceae. Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 62: 1-411.

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Notes

Identifiers:

• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 15495637
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:369036-1
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 741268

Footnotes:

1. Ting-nung Ho & James S. Pringle "Gentianaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 16 Page 1. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
2. "Gentiana". in Flora of China Vol. 16 Page 15. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.