PENTANDRIA— DIGYNIA. Gentiana. 29 



Stems solitary from the centre of each tuft, generally very short, 

 and densely leafy, single-flowered. FL large, often 2 inches 

 long, exquisitely beautiful, of a rich blue in the limb, paler in 

 the tube, which is dotted internally with black. Between each 

 pair of the larger segments is an intermediate one, generally 

 notched, very variable in magnitude. The anthers are united, 

 as in the last. G. angustifolia and G. alpina of Villars are very 

 slight varieties. The latter is exactly represented by our figure 

 in Engl. Bot. 



3. G. verna. Spring Gentian. 



Corolla five-cleft, salver-shaped, crenate ; segments auricled 

 at the base. Leaves crowded, ovate. 



G. verna. Linn. Sp. Pl.331. Willd. v.\. 1342. Fl. Br. 28.5. Engl. 

 Bot. V. 7. t. 493. Sijm. Syn. 64. Curt. Mag. t.A9\. Dicks. Dr. 

 PL 59. Don H. Br. 23. 



G. bavarica. Jacq. Obs.fasc. 3. 19. t.7l. 



G. n. 644. Hall. Hist. v. 1 . 286. 



G. sexta. Clus. Hist. v.l. 3\o.f. 



Gentianella alpina verna. Ger. Em. 436. /. How Phyt. 46. Merr. 

 Pm. 45. Dill. Indie. PL Dub. in Raii Syn. 



G, minor verna caerulea, stellato flore. Barrell. Ic. t. 109./. 1. 



HpotaAij. Renealm. Spec. 75. t. 68. 



In barren mountainous situations, but rare. 



On mountains betwixt Gort and Galloway. Mr. Heaton. In Tees- 

 dale forest, Durham, abundantly. Rev. J. Harriman, and Mr. 

 Oliver. 



Perennial. April. 



Roots slender, branched and creeping, each branch terminating in 

 a tuft of crowded, ovate, acute leaves, which are half an inch 

 long, and a central, short, simple, angular, leafy siem, bearing 

 a solitary ^ower, of a most vivid blue. Cal. with prominent 

 angles and sharp teeth, shorter than the tube of the corolla, 

 which is whitish. The limb is horizontal, about an inch wide, 

 each segment rounded, sometimes acute, a little wavy, or notched, 

 with 2 small lobes, erect or spreading, at its base^ Anth. di- 

 stinct, within the tube. Styles scarcely separate. Stigmas close 

 together, crescent-shaped, fringed. The leaves are occasionally 

 obtuse, approaching those of G. bavarica, which probably is not 

 a distinct species. None of the above synonyms can be marked 

 as definite varieties ; far less as permanent ones. This Gentian 

 is more difficult of culture than the last. 



4. G. nivalis. Small Alpine Gentian. 



Corolla funnel-shaped, five cleft, with notched intermediate 

 segments. Angles of the calyx even, acute. Stem bear- 

 ing several flowers. 



