GENTIANACEAE (GENTIAN FAMILY) 179 



A. Flowers yellow, the parts in 4's. U. — (Gk. mikros = small, kalos — beautiful; 

 hence a small beauty.) Microcala quadrangnlaris 



AA. Flowers either not yellow or else the parts in 5's. 

 B. Corolla longer than rotate. 



C. Style fihform, deciduous; anthers twisted when old. CENTAURIUM (p. 179) 

 CC. Style short and persistent or none; anthers not twisted when old. 



GENTIANA (p. 179) 

 BB. Corolla rotate. 



D. Style very short or none; flower parts in s's. E. — ■ (Honor of E. Swert, a 

 Dutch bulb grower.) E. Swertia palustris (chiretta) 



DD. Style slender, long; flower parts in 4's. FRASERA (p. 180) 



CENTAURIUM (Centaury) 



Low. Leaves entire, sessile. Flowers pink or white, in cymes or spikes. 

 Calyx tubular ; segments 4-5, narrow, keeled. Corolla salverform. Stigma 

 2-lobed. — (L. fentum = 100, aurum = gold or gold pieces ; referring to 

 the medicinal value.) 



A. Stem 2.5-5 cm. high; leaves 2-6 mm. long, lanceolate. W. C. minimum 



AA. Stem more than s"cm. high; leaves more than 6 mm. long, not lanceolate. 

 B. Basal leaves in a rosette. W. C. umbeUatum (bitter- herb) 



BB. Basal leaves not in a rosette. 

 C. Corolla lobes obtuse or retuse; pedicels mostly shorter than the flowers. W. E. 



C. muhlenbergli 

 CC. Corolla lobes obtuse or acute; pedicels much longer than the flowers. 

 D. Corolla lobes obtuse; seed globose. C. E. C. exaltatum (tall centaury) 

 DD. Corolla lobes acute ; seed oblong. E. C. nuttallli 



GENTIANA (Gentian) 



Erect. Leaves opposite or whorled, entire. Flowers variously colored. 

 Calyx tubular, 4-7-cleft. Corolla various in form. Stigma cleft into 2 

 lamellae. — (Honor of King Gentius of lUyria, who is said to have discovered 

 the medicinal value.) 



A. Corolla plicate in the sinuses, the folds more or less extended into thin teeth; 

 perennial. 

 B. Corolla yellow; perennial by offsets; anthers introrse. W. 



G. douglaslana (yellow gentian) 

 BB. Corolla white or blue; root perennial; anthers extrorse. 

 C. Stem leaves 2-4 pairs; stems 2-10 cm. long. C. 



G. newberryl (dwarf gentian) 

 CC. Stem leaves 6 to many pairs; stems 15 cm. or more long. 

 D. Upper leaves forming an involucre about the i-s-flowered cluster. 



E. Flower i. W. C. E. G. calycosa 

 EE. Flowers 1-5. W. C. E. G. parry! 



DD. Upper leaves not forming an involucre. 



F. Corolla oblong-campanulate, its lobes narrowed at base, its appendages entire. 

 G. Plant 3-6 dm. high; leaves lanceolate to linear, 3-veined; seed unappen- 



daged. U. G. menziesil 



GG. Plant 6-12 dm. high; leaves ovate to lanceolate, ,3-7-veined; seed with 



acuminate appendage. W. G. septrum 



