 |
Plants
of Southern New Jersey
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Plant
Profile
Gentiana autumnalis L.
Pine barrens gentian
|
|
|
|
 |
| Photo
by Renee Brecht |
Britton and Brown. See
credits below. |
|
|
| Botanical name: |
Gentiana
autumnalis |
| Common
name: |
Pine
barrens gentian
|
| Synonomy: |
Dasystephana
porphyrio
(J.F. Gmel.) Small
Gentiana
porphyrio
J.F. Gmel. |
| Group: |
Dicot
|
| Family: |
Gentianaceae
(Gentian) |
| Growth
Type: |
Forb/herb
|
| Duration: |
Perennial
|
| Plant
height: |
2-6
decimeters
|
| Flower
color: |
Striking
shade of deep indigo-blue petals; the throat has white-greenish stripes
and spots. |
| Flower
size: |
5
cm (2") |
| Description: |
It
is a solitary flower, on
occasion up to 2
or 3, at the tops of the stems, with five petals, fused for one-half of
their length. The flowers grow
upright, opening in the sun. Leaves are thin, linear and elongated,
7-15 pairs.
|
| Flowering/fruiting time: |
Flowers
September to October |
| Habitat: |
USDA
lists as Facultative wetlands species: Usually occurs in wetlands
(estimated probability 67%-99%), but occasionally found in non-wetlands. |
| Range in
New Jersey: |
damp
Pine
barrens and its borders
|
| Heritage ranking if any: |
Its
state rank S3 (species of
concern)
and it is a
listed Pinelands plant. |
| Other
notes: |
It
was discovered by William
Bartram, who sent a drawing of it to Edwards, a British naturalist, who
published it in his Gleanings of Natural History as the "Autumnal
Perennial Gentian of the Desert", but it was not properly named until
1971, and then from the Pine Barrens of South Carolina.
On very rare occasion this plant may be
found with white corolla or white in green (albescens) or white and
blue (albocaerulea)or purple or lilac (Porphyrio). |
Not sure what a word means? Use Answers.com:
|
| Sources |
|
|
|
Copyright 2008
Citizens United
to Protect the Maurice River & its Tributaries. All
rights reserved.
Send
comments, suggestions, and error reports to NJBotany
|