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Home , Centaurium, Gentiana, Gentianaceae, Gentiana andrewsii, Gentiana puberulenta, Gentiana saponaria

– GENTIAN FAMILY

Plant: mostly herbs, some Stem: : : mostly simple or less commonly trifoliate, opposite or rarely alternate or whorled; no stipules : mostly perfect, rarely imperfect (monoecious), regular (actinomorphic), often showy; 4-5 and (often joined) and the usual 4-5 often adnate; 1 style, 1(2) stigmas, ovary superior, 2 carpels, ovary 1-chambered, ovules numerous : or rarely a , fleshy or not Other: large family throughout the world; Dicotyledons Group Genera: 80+ genera; locally (centaury); (gentian); (rose gentian or marsh pinks)

WARNING – family descriptions are only a layman’s guide and should not be used as definitive Morphology in the Gentianaceae (Gentian Family)

Examples of some common genera

[Virginia] Pennywort Lady Bird's Centaury [Harvestbells] Soapwort Gentian virginica L. Centaurium texense (Griseb.) Fernald L.

American columbo caroliniensis Walter Greater [Eastern] Fringed Gentian crinita (Froel.) Ma Rosepink [Common Marsh Pink] (L.) Pursh GENTIANACEAE – GENTIAN FAMILY

Branched Centaury; (Sw.) Druce (Introduced) Lady Bird's Centaury; Centaurium texense (Griseb.) Fernald American columbo; Walter Elkweed [Green Gentian]; Douglas ex Griseb. [Closed] Bottle Gentian; Griseb. var. andrewsii Downy Gentian; J. Pringle [Harvestbells] Soapwort Gentian; Gentiana saponaria L. Autumn Dwarf Gentian; amarella (L.) Börner Greater Fringed Gentian; (Froel.) Ma Lesser [Western] Fringed Gentian; (Raf.) Holub ssp. Virgata (G. procera (Holm) Ma) [Virginia] Pennywort; Obolaria virginica L. Rosepink [Common Marsh Pink]; Sabatia angularis (L.) Pursh Sea Pink [Rose of Plymouth]; Pursh Branched Centaury USDA Centaurium pulchellum (Sw.) Druce (Introduced) Gentianaceae (Gentian family) Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: flowers pink, 4-5 lobed, mostly with 3+ mm pedicel, subtended by linear bracts; leaves entire, opposite, elliptical; stem square, usually branched; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2006] Lady Bird's Centaury USDA Centaurium texense (Griseb.) Fernald Gentianaceae (Gentian family) Branson area, Taney County, Missouri Notes: flowers rose pink, 5 lobed, calyx lobes long and linear, on long pedicel; leaves entire, opposite, linear to slightly lanceolate; stem square; often on rocky (limestone) glades; mid-summer to perhaps early fall [V Max Brown, 2008] American columbo USDA Frasera caroliniensis Walter Gentianaceae (Gentian family) Pickle Springs Conservation Area, St. Genenieve County, Missouri Notes: 4-lobed flower, greenish to greenish yellow with purple dots, each with a fringed gland in its lower part, on long slender clusters from axils and terminal, only a few of the actually flower in any year; basal leaves large (40-50 cm), lance shaped, and often form large clusters of rosettes; stem leaves whorled (4 or 5), entire, lanceolate; stem glabrous; woods; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2012] Elkweed [Green Gentian] USDA Frasera speciosa Douglas ex Griseb. Gentianaceae (Gentian family) Near Fraser, Grand County, Colorado Notes: 4-lobed flower, greenish to greenish white with purple dots, a fringed gland on each petal, solitary on slender pedicels from leaf axils, only a few of the plants actually flower in any year; leaves basal and whorled (3-5) on stem, entire, lanceolate (widest above middle); stem glabrous; usually dry to wet plains to subalpine conditions; monocarpic ; summer [V Max Brown, 2012] [Closed] Bottle Gentian USDA Gentiana andrewsii Griseb. var. andrewsii Gentianaceae (Gentian family) Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 5-lobed flower, blue (rarely white), corolla closed at top, fringes (plaits) occur between the petals but usually not visible unless flower is forced open, sepals lanceolate to somewhat elliptical; leaves lanceolate to elliptical, opposite, sharp tip; moist areas; hybrids reported; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2006] Downy Gentian USDA Gentiana puberulenta J. Pringle Gentianaceae (Gentian family) Wah-Kon-Tah Prairie, St Clair County, Missouri Notes: flowers deep blue, 5-lobed with extra petal-like parts between lobes, flaring to spreading, white and pale green lines within flower, bracts with mostly linear lobes; leaves mostly lanceolate to somewhat ovate, widest just below middle, 3-7 times as long as broad; stem with lines of short hairs; fall [V Max Brown, 2010] [Harvestbells] Soapwort Gentian USDA Gentiana saponaria L. Gentianaceae (Gentian family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 5-lobed flower, blue (rarely white) in a few-flowered terminal cluster (may be some in upper leaf axes, corolla may be closed but usually slightly open at top, fringes (plaits) occur between the petals and visible at top if open, sepals linear to somewhat lanceolate; leaves lanceolate to elliptical, opposite; stem glabrous; hybrids with Bottle Gentian (G. andrewsii) reported; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2008] Autumn Dwarf USDA Gentian (L.) Börner Gentianaceae (Gentian family) Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Notes: flowers blue to purple (variable), 5- lobed, flaring to spreading, with a fine white throat fringe, from leaf axils; leaves opposite, lanceolate, with sharp tip; foothills to alpine environments, often in woods; summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2012] Greater [Eastern] Fringed Gentian USDA Gentianopsis crinita (Froel.) Ma Gentianaceae (Gentian family) Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: flowers blue (rarely white), 4-lobed, flaring to spreading, with a fine irregular fringe; leaves mostly lanceolate to somewhat ovate, upper leaves 3-4 times as long as broad but may be less, sharp tip; moist areas; fall [V Max Brown, 2007] Lesser [Western] Fringed USDA Gentian Gentianopsis virgata (Raf.) Holub ssp. Virgata (G. procera (Holm) Ma) Gentianaceae (Gentian family) Goose Creek Grasslands, Lenawee County, Michigan Notes: flowers blue (rarely white), 4-lobed, flaring to spreading, with a fine irregular fringe; leaves mostly narrowly lanceolate, upper leaves 5-6+ times as long as broad, sharp tip; moist areas; fall [V Max Brown, 2009] [Virginia] Pennywort USDA Obolaria virginica L. Gentianaceae (Gentian family) Brown County State Park, Brown County, Indiana Notes: flowers white, deeply 4 lobed, mostly solitary to small clusters from leaf axils, sepals deeply 2 lobed and tinged with purple; leaves somewhat elliptical to spatulate and tinged with purple, lower stem leaves reduced; stem fleshy; woods; spring [V Max Brown, 2009] Rosepink [Common USDA Marsh Pink] Sabatia angularis (L.) Pursh Gentianaceae (Gentian family) Shawnee State Park, Scioto County, Ohio Notes: mostly 5- (4-6) lobed flower, pink to white, with greenish-yellow (white) eye star, sepals long and narrow; leaves ovate to elliptical, opposite, somewhat clasping; stem very-4 angled and winged; various habitats; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2007] Sea Pink [Rose of Plymouth] USDA Sabatia stellaris Pursh Gentianaceae (Gentian family) Tybee Island, Georgia Notes: mostly 5-lobed flower, pink with a yellow or rarely white star center, petals slightly joined at base, sepals long and narrow but shorter than petals; leaves linear to ellipitical but more lanceolate near base; coastal dunes and marshes; summer [V Max Brown, 2006]