NAT. ORDER. — GENTIANE^. 
59 
a.s the intervals ; flowers axillary, pedicellate, shorter than the 
leaves ; segments of the calyx linear, as long as the tube ; corolla 
tubular, five cleft, segments acute with a lateral tooth. Native of 
all the middle States. Leaves three inches long, flowers one inch. 
Gentiana collinsiana. Collinsian Gentian. Stem round, smooth ; 
leaves lanceolate, acuminate, trinerve, longer than the intervals ; 
flowers copitate, involucrate ; segments of the calyx lanceolate, 
involucrate ; acute, as long as the tube ; corolla campanulate, five 
cleft ; segments mucronate, innerfolds rounded, notched. This is 
a fine species, leaves three incheslong, flowers two inches, and blue. 
Native of the Western States. Dedicated to Z. Collins. 
The above account may be considered as a concise monography 
of our Gentians ; but there are some other species in the Southern 
States. The perennial kinds, which are the most numerous, have 
their medical properties concentrated in the roots, which may safely 
be substituted to the Officinal Gentian. The annual kinds have the 
whole plant intensely bitter and available as in Sabbatia, Chdone 
glabra, Verbena hastata, &c. They all ought to be cultivated for 
their beautiful blue blossoms, and officinal utility. 
Propagation and Culture. The different sorts are easily raised 
by sowing the seed in pots soon after it is ripe ; for if kept till spring, 
it will not succeed as well ; the pots should be placed in a shady 
situation, and kept clean from weeds. Some advise their being 
sown where they are to remain, but the first is probably the best 
method. When the plants appear in the spring, they must be daily 
watered in dry weather, and kept clean from weeds till the follow- 
ing autumn ; then be carefully shaken out of the pots so as not to 
break or injure their roots ; and a shady border of loamy earth 
should be well dug and prepared to receive them, into which they 
should be put at about six inches distance each way, the tops of the 
roots being kept a little below the surface of the ground, and the 
earth pressed close to the roots. If the following spring prove dry, 
they should be duly watered, to forward their growth. The plants 
