Gentiana newberryi
Gentiana autumnalis
alpine gentian, Newberry's gentian
pine-barren gentian
1–5, arising laterally below rosettes, from a stout tap root, tufted, decumbent.
1(–3), terminal from caudex, decumbent to erect.
basal and cauline;
blades of basal rosette and proximal cauline leaf blades widely spatulate to obovate or oblanceolate, 0.8–5 cm × 2–25 mm, apex obtuse or mucronate, at least these leaves with blades less than 6 times as long as wide, distal cauline leaves few, with blades oblanceolate to lanceolate or linear, 2–5 cm × 2–5 mm, apices acute.
cauline, gradually more distantly spaced distally;
blade linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 2–10 cm × 0.5–5 mm, apex obtuse (proximal leaves) to acute.
terminal, flowers usually solitary, occasionally 2 or 3.
solitary flowers, occasionally also terminating 1 or 2 branches, not subtended by bracts.
calyx 14–30 mm, lobes linear to narrowly ovate, (4–)6–12 mm, margins not ciliate;
corolla white or blue, campanulate, open, 23–55 mm, lobes spreading, elliptic-obovate, 7–17 mm, free portions of plicae divided into 2 triangular, serrate to lacerate segments;
anthers distinct.
calyx 17–40(–53) mm, lobes linear, 10–25(–36) mm, margins not ciliate;
corolla deep blue with greenish yellow dots adaxially on lobes or occasionally rose-violet or white, funnelform, open, 30–65 mm, lobes spreading, widely ovate, 10–20 mm, free portions of plicae shallowly to deeply divided into 2 subequal, lacerate, attenuate segments;
anthers distinct.
winged.
winged.
= 26.
Gentiana newberryi
Gentiana autumnalis
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
The two varieties of Gentiana newberryi intergrade extensively. The most distinctive form of var. newberryi, with relatively tall stems and medium to deep blue corollas, occurs in the northern part of the range of the species, from the Klamath and White mountains of California north into Oregon. Plants most clearly referable to var. tiogana prevail in the southern part of the range of the species, from Butte County south to Inyo and Tulare counties, California. In the central part of the range of the species, plant size and corolla color are less consistently correlated, with occasional plants combining low stature with deep blue corollas or tall stems with predominantly white or pale blue corollas. In that part of the range, corolla color may be highly variable within a single population.
The leaves of Gentiana newberryi are thick-textured and distinctively concave, usually spoon-shaped, when fresh. Narrower leaves sometimes occur in var. tiogana, but many plants of that variety have widely spatulate leaves like those of var. newberryi.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Gentiana autumnalis is believed to have been extirpated long ago from Delaware and Maryland.
Variation in the number of floral parts, from four to seven per whorl, is more frequent in Gentiana autumnalis than in the other species of Gentiana in the flora area.
There is a record of a hybrid of Gentiana autumnalis with the highly dissimilar G. villosa in North Carolina.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Corollas medium to deep blue with greenish to dark purple lines abaxially on and below lobes, usually 35–55 mm. | var. newberryi |
1. Corollas white to pale blue except for greenish to dark purple lines abaxially on and below lobes, usually 23–42 mm. | var. tiogana |
CA
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
