1324 



GENTIANA 



GENTIANA 



and most refined departments of gardening, and gen- 

 tians are one of the most inviting groups of plants to 

 the skilled amateur. Consult Alpine Plants. 



There are several fringed gentians, but ours (G. cri- 

 nita, Fig. 1625) is perhaps the most beautiful of gen- 

 tians, and one of the choicest and most delicate of 

 American wild flowers. It has been proposed as our 



national flower, and, 

 while sought after less 

 than the trailing arbutus, 

 it is in even greater 

 danger of extermination 

 in certain states because 

 it is a biennial, and 

 because it has never been 

 successfully cultivated. 

 Seeds of G, crinita have 

 long been advertised, 

 but they are difficult 

 to germinate and the 

 plant is not seen in 

 American gardens. The 

 fringed gentian is, 

 however, firmly rooted 

 in American literature, 

 and from the time of 

 Bryant's ode many 

 tributes in verse have 

 been paid to its unique 

 beauty. The daily un- 

 folding of its square- 

 ridged and twisted buds 

 has been watched in 

 thousands of homes. By 

 the artists its blue is 

 often considered the 

 nearest approach to the 

 color of the sky, but it 

 must be confessed that 

 a shade of purple often appears in the older flowers. 

 Correvon makes four cultural groups of gentians: 



1. Tall gentians for general culture: species whose 

 roots are more or less stout, which are of relatively easy 

 culture, and therefore suitable for borders, rockwork 

 and landscape gardening. Typical plant, G. lutea; 

 others are G. affinis, G. alba, G. Andrewsii, G. asclepia- 

 dea, G. Bigelovii, G. Burseri, G. Cruciata, G. decumbens, 

 G. Fetisowii, G. gelida, G. Kesselringii, G. macrophylla, 

 G. Olivieri, G. Pneumonanthe, G. Porphyrio, G. Sapo- 

 naria, G. sceptrum, G. septemfida and G. Walujewi. 



2. Low-growing gentians: species whose roots being 

 less stout are adapted to rockwork, and for the open 

 ground only when a special compost is provided. 

 Includes G. acaulis and the species into which it is 

 sometimes divided. 



3. Tufted gentians: species with sessile flowers 

 growing little above the level of the ground, and suited 

 to the same positions as Group II. Typical plant, G. 

 verna: others are G. bavarica, G. imbricata, G. oregana, 

 G. ornata, G. pyrenaica, and G. pumila. 



4. Rare gentians: species which cannot be grown 

 without some special knowledge and practical experi- 

 ence. Typical plant, G. purpurea; others are G. ciliata, 

 G. Froelichii, G. punctata, and presumably all the rest. 



The two most popular gentians in American cultiva- 

 tion seem to be G. acaulis and G. Andrewsii. These are 

 perhaps, followed by G. Cruciata, G. puberula and G. 

 baponaria. The plant which King Gentius knew is 

 probably G. lutea, the root of which furnishes the gen- 

 tian of drugstores. From the same sources comes the 

 liqueur or cordial called "gentiane." 



In the index, those marked with an asterisk (*) 

 appear in American trade catalogues; the others are 

 cultivated abroad. (See also Suppl. list, p. 1328). 

 The plants are perennials and mountain-loving, unless 

 otherwise stated. 



1625. Gentiana crinita. 



*oregana, 40. 



ornata, 32. 



pannonica, 42. 

 *Parryi, 36. 



Pneumonanthe, 20. 



Porphyrio, 31. 



prostrata, 25. 



pseudo-Pneit im>- 



nanthe, ^--1. 

 *puberula, 41. 



pumila, 50. 

 *punctata, 6. 

 *purpurea, 4. 



pyrenaica, 24. 



quinqueflora, 17. 

 *quinquefolia, 17. 



rubra, 5. 

 *Saponaria, 21. 

 *scabra, 26. 

 *sceptrum, 34. 

 *septemfida, 28. 



serrata, 16. 



Thomasii, 4. 



triflora, 33. 



Veitchiorum, 32. 



verna, 48. 



villosa, 8. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



A. Calyx spathe-like, split in two. 

 B. Color of fls. yellowish. 



c. Form of corolla wheel-shaped 1. lutea 



cc. Form of corolla club-shaped, at 



least in bud 2. Burseri 



BB. Color of fls. blue or purple, at least 

 above. 



c. Corolla plaited 3. decumbens 



cc. Corolla not plaited. 



D. Anthers grown together 4. purpurea 



DD. Anthers free o. rubra 



AA. Calyx with a tubular portion, and 



usually 5 lobes. 

 B. Color of fls. yellowish, or greenish 



white. 



c. Style distinct: caps, not stalked.. . . 6. punctata 

 cc. Style none or very short: caps, 

 stalked. 



D. Height 2 ft 7. alba 



DD. Height 9-12 in 8. villosa 



ODD. Height 6 in. or less. 



E. Lobes of calyx longer than the 



calyx-tube 9. frigida 



EE. Lobes of calyx shorter than the 

 calyx-tube. 



F. Lvs. lanceolate-linear 10. algida 



FF. Lvs. ovate-lanceolate 11. gelida 



BB. Color of fls. blue or purple, 

 c. Corolla not plaited. 

 D. Glands found at the base of the 

 filaments. 



E. Calyx 4-cut 12. campestris 



EE. Calyx 5-cut 13. Moorcrofti- 



DD. Glands not found at the base of [ana 



the filaments. 



E. Fringed gentians: calyx 4-cut. 

 F. Caps, raised on a distinct 



stalk. 

 G. Apex of lobes fringed, the 



sides less so 14. crinita 



QQ. Apex of lobes not fringed, 



base fringed 15. ciliata 



FF. Caps, on a very short stalk. . . 16. serrata 

 EE. Not fringed: calyx 5-cut; co- 

 rolla-lobes tipped with a sharp 



point 17. quinquefolia 



cc. Corolla plaited. 



D. Stigmas 2, always distinct. 

 E. Caps, finally raised on a distinct 



stalk. 

 F. Anthers permanently grown 



together. 



G. Calyx as long as the corolla.18. Froelichii 

 GG. Calyx one-half or one-third 



as long as the corolla. 



H. Seeds not at all winged. . . 19. asclepiadea 

 HH. Seeds slightly winged. 



i. Fls. open 20. Pneumon- 



[anthe 

 ii. Fls. closed, blue 21. Saponaria 



