Flora of North America species comparison

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Gentiana prostrata

Gentiana autumnalis

gentian, moss gentian, pygmy gentian

pine-barren gentian
Habit Herbs perennial, 1.5–5.5 dm, glabrous.
Stems

1(–3), terminal from caudex, decumbent to erect.
Leaves

cauline, gradually more distantly spaced distally;

blade linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 2–10 cm × 0.5–5 mm, apex obtuse (proximal leaves) to acute.
Inflorescences

solitary flowers, occasionally also terminating 1 or 2 branches, not subtended by bracts.
Flowers

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.
Seeds

winged.
2n

 = 26.

Gentiana prostrata

Gentiana autumnalis
Phenology Flowering fall–early winter (southward).
Habitat Moist meadows, pine barrens.
Elevation 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
w North America; Eurasia; questionably in s South America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NC; NJ; SC; VA
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2+ (1 in the flora).

Gentiana prostrata is variously divided into subspecies and/or varieties. At least two, perhaps more, varieties seem appropriately recognized at that rank (one in the flora).

(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.)
Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Gentianaceae > Gentiana Gentianaceae > Gentiana
Sibling taxa
G. affinis, G. algida, G. andrewsii, G. austromontana, G. autumnalis, G. calycosa, G. catesbaei, G. clausa, G. decora, G. douglasiana, G. flavida, G. fremontii, G. glauca, G. latidens, G. linearis, G. newberryi, G. nivalis, G. parryi, G. pennelliana, G. platypetala, G. plurisetosa, G. puberulenta, G. rubricaulis, G. saponaria, G. sceptrum, G. setigera, G. villosa
G. affinis, G. algida, G. andrewsii, G. austromontana, G. calycosa, G. catesbaei, G. clausa, G. decora, G. douglasiana, G. flavida, G. fremontii, G. glauca, G. latidens, G. linearis, G. newberryi, G. nivalis, G. parryi, G. pennelliana, G. platypetala, G. plurisetosa, G. prostrata, G. puberulenta, G. rubricaulis, G. saponaria, G. sceptrum, G. setigera, G. villosa
Subordinate taxa
G. prostrata var. prostrata
Synonyms Chondrophylla prostrata, Ciminalis prostrata Dasystephana porphyrio, G. porphyrio, G. stoneana
Name authority Haenke in N. J. Jacquin: Collectanea 2: 66, plate 17, fig. 2. (1789) Linnaeus: Cat. Edwards’s Nat. Hist., 11. (1776)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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