The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

giant rose-gentian, marsh rose-gentian, perennial rose-gentian

large-leaf sabatia, largeleaf rose gentian

Habit Herbs perennial; stolons absent or weakly developed. Herbs perennial, not stoloniferous.
Stems

1–several, clustered, terete or distally 4-ridged but not angled or winged, 0.8–6 dm, branching all or mostly alternate.

several, clustered, terete, 5–14 dm, branching opposite throughout.

Leaves

basal absent at flowering time, internodes between cauline leaves mostly 1.25+ times as long as subtending leaves;

blade elliptic- or oblong-lanceolate, 1.5–7 cm × 4–12(–16) mm.

all cauline at flowering time;

blade lanceolate to ovate-oblong or ovate, 2.5–6(–8.5) cm × 5–30(–45) mm.

Inflorescences

open, few-flowered monochasia or solitary flowers at ends of branches;

pedicels 10–90(–110) mm.

corymboid dichasia of compact cymules;

pedicels 1–5 mm.

Flowers

7–12(–14)-merous;

calyx tube obconic to campanulate, 1.5–4 mm, mid- and commissural veins about equally prominent, 4-ridged;

lobes linear to oblong-lanceolate or occasionally narrowly spatulate or ± foliaceous, 4–20 mm;

corolla purplish pink or rarely white, eye yellow, projections of eye into corolla lobes oblong, sometimes shallowly 3-lobed, usually with a red border, tube (3–)4–8 mm, lobes oblanceolate to narrowly spatulate-obovate, (10–)12–25 × 3–11 mm, apex rounded to subacute;

anthers coiling circinately.

5-merous;

calyx tube campanulate, 1–2 mm, mid- and commissural veins about equally prominent, not ridged or with low, narrow ridges, lobes triangular to linear-subulate, 0.1–3 mm;

corolla white or cream throughout, tube 2–4 mm, lobes oblong-oblanceolate, 4–7(–9) × 2–3(–4) mm, apex rounded to obtuse;

anthers recurving.

2n

 = 34 + 8B.

Sabatia dodecandra

Sabatia macrophylla

Phenology Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Saltwater, brackish, or rarely freshwater marshes.
Elevation 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DE; FL; GA; MD; NC; NJ; NY; SC; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
se United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

There are historical records of Sabatia dodecandra from Connecticut and New York. Reports from west of the range given here have been based on a concept of the species that included S. foliosa.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

The inflorescences of Sabatia macrophylla are nearly flat-topped and usually contain more flowers than those of other Sabatia species. The relatively small, closely spaced flowers give this species a distinctive aspect. It further differs from S. difformis in its glaucous stems and leaves.

Sabatia macrophylla is restricted to central and southern Georgia, northern Florida, and southern Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, mostly but not exclusively (in Georgia) near the Gulf Coast. The range of var. macrophylla extends farther west than that of var. recurvans.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Calyx lobes erect or spreading, shorter than or ± as long as tube.
var. macrophylla
1. Calyx lobes recurved, longer than tube.
var. recurvans
Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Gentianaceae > Sabatia Gentianaceae > Sabatia
Sibling taxa
S. angularis, S. arenicola, S. arkansana, S. brachiata, S. brevifolia, S. calycina, S. campanulata, S. campestris, S. capitata, S. decandra, S. difformis, S. foliosa, S. formosa, S. gentianoides, S. grandiflora, S. kennedyana, S. macrophylla, S. quadrangula, S. stellaris
S. angularis, S. arenicola, S. arkansana, S. brachiata, S. brevifolia, S. calycina, S. campanulata, S. campestris, S. capitata, S. decandra, S. difformis, S. dodecandra, S. foliosa, S. formosa, S. gentianoides, S. grandiflora, S. kennedyana, S. quadrangula, S. stellaris
Subordinate taxa
S. macrophylla var. macrophylla, S. macrophylla var. recurvans
Synonyms Chironia dodecandra, S. chloroides
Name authority (Linnaeus) Britton: Sterns & Poggenburg, Prelim. Cat., 36. (1888) — (as Sabbatia) Hooker: Compan. Bot. Mag. 1: 171. (1836) — (as Sabbatia)
Web links