GENTIAN FAMILY 



GENTIANACE^ 



The members of tlie Gentian family have the 

 petals united into a corolla with as many stamens 

 as there are lobes of the corolla and with simple, 

 opposite leaves which are sessile and without 

 stipules. The ovary is free and it develops into 

 a pod with many small seeds. The typical mem- 

 bers of this group are the Gentians, of which 

 several species are found in the United States. 

 Only two of these, however, are so abundant and 

 widely distributed as to require special mention 

 in this connection. 



Closed Gentian. The Closed Gentian, which 

 is also often called the Bottle Gentian, is one of 

 the most interesting blossoms of the late summer 

 and early autumn season. Its general appearance 

 is well shown in the picture, the tubular corollas 

 being blue, although the precise color tone varies 

 largely in different flowers and in different ages 

 of the same flower. These blossoms are freely 

 visited by worker bumble-bees, which pry open 

 the corolla lobes and enter the flower bodily. 



Fringed Gentian. As the dainty Mayflower 



is the most prized of the early blossoms, full of 



promise for the coming days, so the Fringed 



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