GENTIANA. 
Dauphiné, just to the west of G. vulgaris in its lowest range, and 
topping off the long enclave of G. latifolia. Here the leaves are very 
long indeed, of a very protracted squeezed narrow paddle-shape, rounded 
at the tips, more or less, but never pointed. It may easily and always 
be known at a glance by the characteristic narrow leaves, quite different 
from those of all the others, and tapering at long length towards the 
base; they are bright-green, and the whole plant is taller and 
slenderer than the rest, with flowers of good clear blue (but not 
specially large, and without any frecklings), each on a delicate stem 
of 2 or 3 inches or more, the segments of the calyx being much 
as in G. occidentalis, but smaller in proportion to the bell and not 
so sharp or long. 
G. dinarica is a rare species, only possessing one small district in 
Bosnia, with a patch in the South Carpathians, from which it leaps 
across into Italy like Attila, and occupies the ridges of the Majella in 
the Abruzzi. It is exceedingly distinct at first sight, by its leaves, 
which are small, and broad, and pointed, and bright-green, almost 
diamond-shaped, with the two lateral angles of the rhomb just blunted. 
It is nearest to G. latifolia, of which there is a stretch close adjoining 
it in Bosnia, but the segments of the calyx, though in the same swell- 
ing design as all these, are very much longer and rather narrower, and 
drawing to a longer sharper point. The unspotted bright-blue flower- 
trumpet is of good size on a definite good stem, though not so tall and 
slender as in G. angustifolia—indeed, not slender at all, but rather 
stout. 
G. excisa, Presl., is by far the grandest in the group, though too 
rarely seen or offered. It has the lobes of the calyx-segments very full 
and fat und sharp, like the Pavilion-bulb with the apex left on. The 
leaves are longer, larger, broader, stiffer, darker, greener, glossier than in 
all the foregoing—elongated ovals in design, tapering, though gradually, 
to a definite point. The flower-stems, too, are stouter and much taller, 
with a pair or more of ample oval-pointed leaves or bracts opposite 
to each other about half way up; then come the great flowers, with 
the bulbous-pointed segments of the calyx spreading widely out, yet 
infinitesimal in proportion to that huge trumpet of rich sapphire silk, 
so much more wide-throated and gaping-mouthed than in the rest, . 
with the flapping lobes of the corolla cut and jagged and standing agape 
as widely as they can, to show the full intense beauty of the bell. 
There is no mistaking this species, which is usually found on non- 
calcareous alps; but it never seems common, or prevalent, like the 
others, but merely an occurrence every now and then, conspicuous for 
its size and deep pure blueness of flower, and deep dark greenness of 
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