GENTIAN FAMILY. Oentianaceas. 



June- 

 September 



GENTIAN FAMILY. Gentianacece.. 



Smooth herbs with generally opposite leaves, toothless 

 and stemless; Menyanthes and Limnanthemum are two 

 exceptions to this rule. Flowers regular and perfect, 

 the corolla with 4-12 lobes; alternating with these are a 

 corresponding number of stamens. Fertilized mostly by 

 the bees and the beelike flies. 



An erect and smooth annual naturalized 



from Europe, with several short branches 

 Centaury 



Enjthrcea above, and elliptical or oblong light green 



Centaurium leases, somewhat acute ; the uppermost 

 Light magenta rather linear. The small tubular light 

 magenta flowers five-lobed and very nearly 

 stemless. They are numerously borne at 

 the summits of the branches. 6-12 inches high. Waste 

 places and the shores of the Great Lakes, from Quebec 

 to Illinois. The name Erythrcea is from the Greek, 

 meaning red. The flowers are weak in color, and the 

 plants are really more delicate than beautiful. 



A small species from Europe similar in 

 ramosima manv Aspects to the foregoing, but the 

 Magenta-pink stem very much branched, the leaves oval 

 June- or long-ovate, the larger lower ones blunt, 



September the upper sma il a nd acute. The flowers 

 are magenta-pink, and, with few exceptions, distinctly 

 stemmed. The tube of the corolla is nearly twice as 

 long as the five lobes of the calyx. 8-8 inches high. 

 Waste places or fields, wet or shady, from southern 

 N. Y. to east Pa. and Md. 



An erect and smooth annual naturalized 



from the old country, with small, blunt, 



Er"thr^a oblong, light green leaves ; the upper ones 



spicata rather acute, and all more or less close to 



Magenta-pink the generally forking stem. The very 



small magenta-pink, or crimson-magenta 



flowers tubular and five-lobed, stemless 



and also close to the plant-stem, the tube of the corolla 



a little longer than the calyx-lobes. 6-16 inches high. 



Shores of F->ntucket, Mass., and Portsmouth, N. H; 



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