GENTIAN FAMILY 
GENTIANACE/E 
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THE members of the 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. 
CLosEpD 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. 
Frincep GEenTIAN. 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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