Gentianopsis detonsa
Gentianopsis detonsa subsp. nesophila
serrate gentian, sheared gentian, western fringe gentian, windmill fringe gentian
gentiane des îles, windmill fringe gentian
branching diverse, often from base as well as distally.
except those of smallest plants with branches or peduncles arising from base.
basal usually persistent and green at flowering, blades narrowly obovate to spatulate, oblanceolate, oblong, or linear (subsp. raupii) 0.5–3.5(–6) cm × 3–18 mm, apex rounded or obtuse, sometimes subacute or acute (subsp. detonsa), at least distal cauline blades oblanceolate, narrowly elliptic, lanceolate, or linear, (0.5–)1.5–6.5 cm × 1–7(–15) mm, apex rounded to obtuse, or usually acute (subsp. detonsa).
blades: basal and at least proximal cauline obovate to spatulate or oblanceolate, distal cauline (if present) sometimes elliptic to lanceolate, apices of all rounded to obtuse.
(0.3–)1–15 cm.
often 1 per primary stem, occasionally 2–5;
calyx 7–30 mm, keel smooth, all or at least inner lobes less than 1.5 times as long as tube, lobes ovate to narrowly lanceolate, varying with subspecies;
corolla pale to deep blue or occasionally pale yellow or white, 12–50 mm, lobes oblong, oblong-lanceolate, oblong-triangular, oblong-orbiculate, or proximally oblong, distally obovate to suborbiculate, varying with subspecies, 5–20 × 4–12(–15) mm, margins proximally fringed or merely erose to dentate, distally dentate;
ovary ± short-stipitate.
calyx lobes all similar in shape and length, ovate to lance-ovate, all with apex acute or outer short-acuminate;
corolla 12–50 mm, lobes oblong-orbiculate, to 0.5 times as long as tube, margins dentate or erose, not fringed, apex rounded;
ovary subsessile or gynophore stout, to 5 mm at anthesis.
papillate, not winged.
coat completely papillate.
Gentianopsis detonsa
Gentianopsis detonsa subsp. nesophila
Subspecies 4 (4 in the flora).
References to Gentianopsis detonsa in the Rocky Mountains from Montana south to New Mexico have been based on circumscriptions of the species that included G. thermalis. Specimens formerly so identified from Illinois, Indiana, and Ontario south of the James Bay region are G. virgata subsp. virgata. Those from Minnesota are G. virgata subsp. macounii.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Subspecies nesophila occurs only along the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and Hudson and James bays. Records for Nunavut are from islands in James Bay only.
Subspecies nesophila generally has more pairs of leaves in proportion to plant height than the other subspecies of Gentianopsis detonsa, and spatulate to oblanceolate leaves prevail at more nodes above the basal rosettes. The basal leaves, which are generally numerous, tend to be both absolutely and proportionately wider than those of the other subspecies of G. detonsa and all subspecies of G. virgata. In contrast to those of all other Gentianopsis taxa in the flora area, the corolla lobes of subsp. nesophila are less than half as long as the tube. Occasional plants of subsp. nesophila, especially on the western shores of Hudson and James bays, approach subsp. raupii in some aspects of their morphology and vice versa. The papillae of the seed coats of subsp. nesophila are mostly smaller than those of the other subspecies of G. detonsa.
Where both taxa are present on the southwestern shore of James Bay, subsp. nesophila grows in supratidal meadow-marshes, whereas Gentianopsis virgata subsp. macounii is found at slightly higher elevations, on low raised beach ridges (J. L. Riley and S. M. McKay 1980).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Margins of corolla lobes dentate or erose, not fringed; halophytes of northern seacoasts (including Mackenzie Delta). | → 2 |
2. Basal leaf blades oblanceolate, apex obtuse to acute; cauline leaf blades (if present) linear, apex usually acute; corolla lobes 0.5+ times as long as tube; seed coat papillate only toward ends. | subsp. detonsa |
2. Leaf blades obovate to spatulate or oblanceolate or distal cauline leaf blades (if present) elliptic to lanceolate, apex rounded or obtuse; corolla lobes to 0.5 times as long as tube; seed coat completely papillate. | subsp. nesophila |
1. Margins of most corolla lobes fringed proximally, dentate toward apex; plants of the interior, approaching Arctic coast only in Mackenzie Delta (subsp. raupii). | → 3 |
3. Distinct rosette of basal leaves present at flowering, separated from cauline leaf blades; corolla lobes acute apically. | subsp. yukonensis |
3. Basal leaves generally persistent but rosette not well developed, transitional to cauline leaves; corolla lobes rounded apically. | subsp. raupii |
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
