Gentiana algida
Gentiana villosa
arctic gentian, whitish gentian
striped gentian, striped or pale or straw-color gentian
1–few, arising laterally below rosettes or seemingly from center of rosettes because of large basal leaves, decumbent to erect.
1–5, terminal from caudex, erect.
basal and cauline;
blades of basal and rosette leaves narrowly spatulate, 2–10(–14) cm × 1–7 mm, transitional to cauline leaves with blades oblanceolate to lanceolate or linear, 2–5 cm × 2–5 mm, blades of all leaves 6+ times as long as wide, apices obtuse to acute.
cauline, ± evenly spaced;
blade obovate or spatulate to elliptic, 2.5–10 cm × 10–40 mm, proximal blade apices retuse or truncate to obtuse, distal ± acute.
1–3-flowered.
± dense 1–10-flowered cymes, often with additional flowers at 1 or 2(–4) nodes or on branches.
calyx 15–28 mm, lobes linear to lanceolate, (5–)7–12 mm, margins not ciliate;
corolla abaxially suffused with blue-violet on and below lobes, adaxially white or yellowish white with dark purple and/or greenish spots and streaks, funnelform, open, 35–50 mm, lobes ascending to spreading, ovate-triangular, 2–5 mm, summit of plicae nearly truncate, erose;
anthers distinct.
calyx 11–50 mm, lobes linear to oblanceolate, 5–35 mm, margins not ciliate;
corolla largely white or greenish white with veins outlined in green, sometimes suffused with violet, or grayish violet ± throughout, tubular, narrowly open, 30–55 mm, lobes ascending, ovate-triangular, 4–10 mm, free portions of plicae obliquely triangular, erose, occasionally shallowly bifid;
anthers connate or distinct.
winged.
not winged.
= 24.
= 26.
Gentiana algida
Gentiana villosa
Gentiana algida of North America and Asia is sometimes considered conspecific with G. frigida Haenke of Europe. Early reports of differing chromosome numbers have been superseded by more recent counts indicating that 2n = 24 prevails in both species. If these taxa are united, the North American plants can be called G. algida var. algida. This designation is also applicable if varieties are recognized among the Japanese or other Asiatic representatives of this species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Gentiana villosa is believed to be extirpated from Delaware, the District of Columbia, and New Jersey.
Although the name Gentiana ochroleuca is a heterotypic synonym of G. villosa, it was sometimes applied to G. flavida during the nineteenth century. Such a misapplication is responsible for reports of G. ochroleuca from Illinois. Reports of G. villosa from Arkansas are plausible but remain unsubstantiated.
The species name is a misnomer as plants of Gentiana villosa species are glabrous. The use of the translation “hairy gentian” as a common name is inappropriate and potentially confusing.
There is one record each of hybrids of Gentiana villosa with G. autumnalis and G. catesbaei.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
PNW Herbaria
SW CO Wildflowers
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
LA Plants
MD Biodiversity
