436 ORDER LXXXn. GENTIANACE.E. 



Qrder LXXXIL— GENTTANA'CE^E. {Gentian Family) 



Calyx 4 — 10 cleft, persistent. Corolla hypogynous, usually 

 regular, limb with as many lobes as the calyx. Stamens in- 

 serted into the corolla, and alternate with the segments, and 

 equal to them in number. Ovary 1 — 2-celled, many-seeded. 

 Style 1. Fruit capsular, 1 -celled. Seeds numerous, small. 

 Herbaceous plants, with opposite exstipulate leaves. 



Genus I.— GENTIA'NA. L. 5—2. 



(From Gentius, king of Illyria.) 



Calyx 4 — 5-cleft Corolla tubular, campanulate, 4 — 5-cleft, 

 with the orifice naked. Stamens 4 — 5, included. Stigmas 2. 

 Capsule 1-celled, 2-valved. 



1. G. sapona'ria, (L.) Stem erect, simple, terete, glabrous. Leaves 

 ovate-lanceolate, acute, glabrous. Ftowers axillary, terminal, sessile, 

 clustered. Calyx with short segments. Corolla with the border 5-cleft, 

 with the segments acute; the inner segments unequally 2-cleft. — 

 Bright blue. Sept. — Oct. Upper districts of Car. and Geo. 1 — 2 feet. 



Soap Gentian. 



2. G. Cates'b^i, (Walt.) Stem erect, simple, slightly pubescent, 

 rough. Leaves narrow, lanceolate, scabrous. Flowers axillary, 1 — 3 in 

 an axil. Calyx with the segments 2 — 3 times as long as the tube ; bor- 

 der of the corolla erect, or expanding. Anthers sagittate. Seed corn- 

 pressed, slightly winged, small — Blue. 2{. October. In damp places. 

 Low country. Car. and Geo. 



3. G. ochroleu'ca, (L.) Stem simple, terete, glabrous. Leaves 

 lanceolate, entire, glabrous, of the margins scabrous ; segments of the 

 calyx foliaceous, linear-lanceolate. Flowers opposite, sometimes clus- 

 tered, on very short peduncles ; border of the corolla connivent, the in- 

 terior segments short, dentate. — White, striped with green and purple. 

 %. Sept. — Oct. Damp soils. 10 — 15 inches. Sampson Snake-root. 



4. G. angustifo'lia, (Mich.) Stem simple, slender, glabrous. Leaves 

 linear, cuneate. Flowers terminal. Corolla large, of the segments ex- 

 panding, the middle ones shorter and lacerate. — Blue, tinged with pur- 

 ple. U. Wet places. Oct. — Nov. 12 — 18 inches. 



5. G. crini'ta, (L.) Stem erect, terete at the base, angled toward 

 the summit, glabrous. Leaves sessile, with scabrous margins, acute. 

 Flowers solitary, axillary, and terminal, on rather long peduncles; seg- 

 ments fimbriate. — Pale blue. % . Oct. — Nov. Mountains. 1 — 2 feet. 



6. G. quinqueflo'ra, (L.) Stem erect, branching, glabrous, angled, 

 and slightly winged. Leaves sessile, ovate-lanceolate, amplexicaul, 

 acute. Flowers usually terminal, generally from 3 — 5. Corolla with 

 the segments undulate. — Blue. If. Among the mountain-. 



7. G. acu'ta, (Mich.) Stem erect, angular. Leaves oblong, acute, am- 

 plexicaul. Flowers in terminal and lateral clusters ; throat of the co- 

 rolla ciliate ; segments linear-lanceolate. — Blue. 2f. Mountains, 



