fringed gentian crinita Kingdom: Plantae FEATURES Division: Magnoliophyta Fringed gentian is a perennial herb that has upright, Class: Magnoliopsida smooth stems that may be branched or unbranched. Order: Its leaves are arranged opposite each other on the stem. Leaves are simple and stalkless. Each leaf may Family: be up to two inches in length. The leaf is lance- ILLINOIS STATUS shaped and entire. One, blue flower develops on a stalk in the axil of each of the upper leaves. Each common, native large flower may be up to two and one-half inches long. The four petals, each of which is fringed at the flowers tip, are united into a tube at the base. The fruit is a capsule that contains small seeds. Fringed gentian may grow from one to three feet tall.

BEHAVIORS Fringed gentian may be found in the northern one- fourth of Illinois. It grows in forests, wet prairies, marshes and wetlands. Flowers are produced from August through November.

flower ILLINOIS RANGE

© Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 2021. Biodiversity of Illinois. Unless otherwise noted, photos and images © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. flowers and

© Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 2021. Biodiversity of Illinois. Unless otherwise noted, photos and images © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. flowers and plant

Aquatic Habitats marshes; peatlands; wet prairies and fens

Woodland Habitats coniferous forests; upland deciduous forests

Prairie and Edge Habitats black soil prairie

© Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 2021. Biodiversity of Illinois. Unless otherwise noted, photos and images © Illinois Department of Natural Resources.