GENTIAN TEIBE 239 



greenish stripes extending down the exterior of the rich deep-blue corolla, 

 which is rather funnel-shaped than bell-shaped. Humble-bees can get into 

 the broader upper part of the funnel, from which point their tongues are long 

 enough to reach the honey, though to do so they have to press against the 

 bursting anthers, and carry away part of the pollen. At this time the 

 stigmas are not mature, but in an older flower it is the stigma that is pressed 

 against, and some of the pollen is left on it. There are usually one or two 

 blossoms on the same stalk, and the plant is in flower from August to Sep- 

 tember. It occurs on several moist heathy places of England, but is very 

 rare. The bitter tonic principle, which renders the Gentians so valuable in 

 medicine, exists to a considerable degree in this species ; and both this and 

 G. amarelhi may be used instead of the yellow G. lutca, which we procure from 

 other countries, and which is found in Italy, Germany, France, Sweden, Lap- 

 land, and some parts of North America. In this latter plant the juices are 

 so intensely bitter that large tracts of grass land are, in several of these 

 countries, left untouched by cattle, to whom, indeed, none of the Gentian 

 tribe are acceptable. The medicinal use of the Gentian is of great antiquity, 

 and Parkinson says of it : " The wonderful wholesomeness of Gentian cannot 

 be easilie knowne by reason our daintie tastes refuse to take thereof for the 

 bitternesse' sake ; but otherwise it would undoubtedly worke admirable cures 

 for the stomache and lungs. It is also a speciall counterpoison against any 

 infection, as against the violence of a mad dog's tooth." 



Our plant is the Calathian violet of the old writers. A plant called Marsh 

 Felwort, Stcertia perennis, is very nearly allied to this. It is said by Hudson 

 to have been found in Wales by Dr. Richardson, but it is believed that the 

 Marsh Gentian was mistaken for it. Bishop Mant thus alludes to the two 

 plants : — 



' ' And see Marsh Felwort bares to view 



His wheel quintuple's brilliant blue, 



Cambria, thy pride ! if Cambrian coast 



Indeed that native beauty boast. 



Less apt to pay the searcher's cares 



Than that a kindred name which bears, 



The beauty of the Gentian race 



Whose gallant flowers with ' bravery gi'aco," 



Or chalky down, or meadow wet, 



The blue Calathian violet." 



2. Spring Gentian (G. vernci). — Stem tufted, 1-flowered ; leaves egg- 

 shaped, lower ones crowded ; calyx angular, with sharp teeth ; corolla bright 

 blue, salver-shaped, with 5 distinct lobes, alternating with bifid scales; perennial. 

 This is a very lovely Gentian, sometimes cultivated in gardens, though it is 

 smaller than the handsome G. acaulis, which is still more frequently to be 

 seen on the flower-bed, and which is a native of the Swiss mountains. The 

 Spring Gentian flowers in April. It is a rare plant of Alpine pastures, 

 growing in barren limestone districts. It has been found in Teesdale, 

 Durham, Westmoreland and Yorkshire, and in some places in Ireland. Its 

 stem is prostrate and rooting, and its flower is rather large, and intensely 

 blue. 



Many of the Gentians are mountain flowers, some growing at heights 

 beyond which nothing is to be found save moss and lichen ; and often they 



