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Fringed Gentian

Gentianopsis crinita




Fringed gentian
 Gentianopsis crinita habitat
 Fringed gentian



State Heritage Status Rankings

Connecticut (SNR), Delaware (SX), Georgia (S1), Illinois (SNR), Indiana (SNR), Iowa (S3), Maine (S3S4),
Maryland (S1), Massachusetts (S4), Michigan (SNR), Minnesota (SNR), Montana (SNR), New Hampshire (S2),
New Jersey (S4), New York (SNR), North Carolina (S1), North Dakota (S1), Ohio (S3), Pennsylvania (SNR),
Rhode Island (S2), South Dakota (SNR), Tennessee (SNR), Vermont (S3), Virginia (S1), West Virginia (SX), Wisconsin (SNR)



 

Description:

Fringed gentian is a biennial herbaceous species. The first year plants are in the form of a basal rosette 3 to 6 cm in diameter. Second year plants originate from the basal rosette growing to 1 to 9 dm in height with a single stem, occasionally with numerous axillary branches. Fringed gentian has opposite, clasping, sessile, ovate to lanceolate leaves approximately 1 to 5 cm in length by 2 to 17 mm in width. In late September to early November, solitary, iridescent blue flowers develop on naked peduncles approximately 2 to 10 cm in height. Each finely fringed petal is 3.5 to 6 cm in length. The outermost flower parts are two pairs of green sepals, strongly winged and flared on the basal margins, the outer pair much larger than the inner. Unlike other southeastern, large-flowered, blue gentians, the pleats (folded appendages) between the petals are lacking, and the flowers open and close daily. The flowers of fringed gentian open only in the presence of direct sunlight and are closed when in shaded or dark conditions. The anthers are free and the stamens extend almost to the top of the corolla tube. The pistal is equal to the corolla tube or slightly longer. The style is essentially absent. From November to January, a capsule (fruit), which is broadest near the middle and tapered gradually to both ends develops. The capsule is approximately 3 to 4 cm in length containing numerous minute seeds which, have roughened tiny projections (Patrick et. al. 1995 and Radford et. al. 1968).

Habitat:

Fringed gentian inhabits shallow, near-neutral soils of damp, sunny meadows underlain by ultramafic (i.e. limestone, amphibolite, or serpentinized olivine), calcareous, or mafic (i.e. serpentine or soapstone) rocks. Fringed gentian inhabits sunny or semi-shaded areas often found growing in nearby disturbed grassy areas along road and distribution line rights-of-way or in shady seepage areas (Weakley 2002 and Patrick et. al. 1995).

Range:

Fringed gentian is found in the mountains in northeastern Georgia, adjacent North Carolina, and Virginia, north to Maine, west to Manitoba and Iowa (Patrick et. al. 1995).





References

  • NatureServe. 2003. Internet Resource. NatureServe.

    Patrick, T.S., Allison, J.R., and Krakow, G.A. 1995. Protected Plants of Georgia: AN INFORMATION MANUAL ON PLANTS DESIGNATED BY THE STATE OF GEORGIA AS ENDANGERED, THREATENED, RARE, OR UNUSUAL. Georgia Natural Heritage Program. Internet Resource. Protected Plants of Georgia.

    Radford, A.E., Ahles, H.E., Bell, C.R. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. pp. 839-840.

    USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5. Internet Resource USDA Plants Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

    Weakley, A.S. July 2002. Flora of the Carolinas and Virginia, Working Draft. Internet Resource. Flora of the Carolinas and Virginia.