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

branching sabatia, four-angle sabatia, fourangle rose gentian

Habit Herbs perennial; stolons absent or weakly developed. Herbs biennial.
Stems

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

usually single, occasionally 2–several, 4-angled with wings 0.1–0.5 mm wide, 1.5–5(–7.5) dm, branching all opposite or secondary and/or tertiary occasionally alternate.

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.

basal and cauline or only cauline present at flowering time;

basal blades spatulate-obovate;

cauline blades linear-oblong to ovate-lanceolate, 0.8–2.5(–6) cm × 3–8(–18) mm.

Inflorescences

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

pedicels 10–90(–110) mm.

cymes of compact cymules;

pedicels 1–2(–4) 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 widely obconic to campanulate, 1.5–3(–3.5) mm, mid- and commissural veins about equally prominent, low-ridged, lobes linear-subulate or rarely wider, 2–8(–11) mm;

corolla white throughout (sometimes drying yellow or salmon) or occasionally with a yellow eye, projections of eye into corolla lobes, when present, triangular, without a contrasting border, tube 2.5–7 mm, lobes oblanceolate to narrowly spatulate-obovate, 4.5–15 × 1.5–6 mm, apex rounded to obtuse;

anthers coiling circinately.

2n

 = 34 + 8B.

 = 32, 34.

Sabatia dodecandra

Sabatia quadrangula

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Saltwater, brackish, or rarely freshwater marshes. Fields, open pine woods, granite outcrops.
Elevation 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.) 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DE; FL; GA; MD; NC; NJ; NY; SC; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; NC; SC; VA
[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.)

The name Sabatia paniculata (Michaux) Pursh was misapplied to this species for many years but is typified by a specimen of S. difformis (R. L. Wilbur 1955).

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

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. macrophylla, S. stellaris
Synonyms Chironia dodecandra, S. chloroides
Name authority (Linnaeus) Britton: Sterns & Poggenburg, Prelim. Cat., 36. (1888) — (as Sabbatia) Wilbur: Rhodora 57: 22. (1955)
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