GENTIA'NA GEL'IDA. 
ICE-COLD GENTIAN. 
Class. Order. 
PENTANDRIA. DIGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
GENTIANACE^E. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration 
Introduced 
Siberia. 
1 foot. 
June, July. 
Perennial. 
in 1807. 
No. 642. 
Gentiana, from Gentius, king of a small state 
in Europe, on the northern side of the Adriatic, 
opposite to Italy. To what peculiarity of the plant 
this specific name applies, we know not. 
There are very few prettier genera of low -tufted 
plants than Gentiana, but they are not always suc- 
cessfully cultivated. Pure air, and not too dry a 
situation, seems to be most favourable to the spe- 
cies in general. A peaty soil is favourable to this 
and all the smaller species of Gentian, but indis- 
pensable to few. The whole admit of increase by 
division of their roots. 
The opinions of the medicinal qualities of all 
Gentians entertained by the old herbalists, have 
been founded on the Gentiana lutea, the roots of 
which form an article of commerce at the present 
day. They are imported from the north of Europe, 
and used chiefly as a tonic and stomachic. Par- 
kinson, in his Paradisus Terrestris,says, ^‘The won- 
derful wholesomeness of Gentian cannot be easily 
known to us, by reason our dainty tastes refuse to 
take thereof, for the bitterness sake, but otherwise 
it would undoubtedly work admirable cures.” 
Loudon’s Ency. of PI. 204. 
