128 



HARD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OSS I P. 



THE GENTIANS OF THE ALPS. 

 Gentiana (L.). 



CALYX tubular or campanulate ; 4-10 divisions, 

 but usually corresponding with lobes of corolla. 

 Corolla entire ; funnel or salver-shaped ; 4-5-cleft ; 

 mouth smooth or ciliated. 



nearly to the base, lobes somewhat lanceolate ; 

 flowers stalked, in whorls and terminal cluster, 

 star-like ; anthers free ; leaves opposite, elliptical, 

 strongly ribbed, and the upper ones sessile. Plant 

 2-4 ft. high, common in Alpine pastures ; root 

 valuable as a tonic, for which peasants dig it up and 

 sell to the chemists. 



Fig. 69. — Ce7itiana cUiata. 



Stamens 4-5 ; stigmas sessile, 2-cleft ; capsule i 

 cell, 2 valves. 



a 1. Flowers yellow or purple ; clustered either at 

 the top of the stem, or in axils of the leaves. 



3 2. Flowers blue, fringed at the mouth, 



7 3. Flowers blue, smooth. 



I. G. lutea, L. (yellow gentian). Corolla divided 



Fig. 70. — Geniiaiia lulea. 



A variety occurs, G. luteo-piinciata, having yellow 

 petals spotted with violet, and lobes of corolla obtuse. 



2. G. purpurea, L. (purple gentian). Reddish- 

 purple corolla, not deeply divided, having petals 

 spotted ; flowers generally twice verticillated, the 

 terminal cluster being most profuse ; leaves opposite, 

 strongly ribbed, upper ones sessile. 



3. G. Biirseri, Lap. (Burser's gentian). Flowers 

 yellow, in terminal cluster and funnel-shaped ; co- 



