352 
G E N T I A N A. 
tube of t’le corolla no longer than the calyx, but the 
fegments of the former fpreading immediately over tlie 
top of the latter, as in the pink. Mr. Miller obferves, 
that after the top Horverdecays, there are frequently two 
fmaller flowers come out from the fide of tlie ftalk, at 
the two upper joiifts; thefe flowering after eacIt other, 
there is a i'ucceffion of flowers till autumn. Native of 
the mountains of Sv ilferland, Germany, Auftria, Idria, 
and Italy ; flowering in June. Ray relates that he found 
it abundantly in going from Munich to Augibourg.— 
'I'his alfo varies with a w'hite flower. 
31. Gcntiana exacoides, or healing gentian: corollas 
five-cleft, lalver-lliaped, calyxes membranaceous and 
keeled, ftalk dichotomous, leaves cordate. The whole 
plant is only about a finger’s length. Native of the 
Cape of Good Hope. It I'eems-to belong to a different 
genus. 
32. Gentiana centaurium, centaury gentian, or fmaller 
centaury: corollas five-cleft, ftem dichotomous, piftil 
fituple. Smooth and glaucous; ftalk from four inches 
to a foot in height, upright, hexangular, or quadrangu¬ 
lar, generally fiinple, but frequently putting out upright 
fimple branches lome way above the root, and fometimes 
branching all the way to the top ; feeds roundifli, yellow. 
Our Gerarde, remarked (1597), tliat “tlie flowers, 
(which he deferibes as growing at tlie top of the ftalk in 
1 a fpokie bufli or rundell, of a red colour tending to pur. 
pie,) in the day time, and after the fun is up, do open 
themfelves, and towards evening do flint up again.” 
Native of moft parts of Europe from Sweden and Den. 
mark, Ibuthwards to Italy; and in all tlie temperate 
parts of Riiilia, in dry paftures ; flowering from June to 
Auguft. 
This fpecies is extremely bitter, with a difagreeable 
flavour, whence Haller obferves that it was called fcl 
terra;, or gall of the earth, by the ancients; he alfb de¬ 
termines it to be the gravcolentia emtaurea of Virgil, to 
which Lucretius gives a more fignificant epitliet of 
trijlifi, expreflive of its extreme bitternel's. It is the 
bafis of the famous Portland powder, which prevents 
fits of the gout, when taken in a large quantity, and a 
long time together ; but is faid to bring on hardnefs of 
the liver, palfy, and apoplexy; a tindture of the leaves, 
and the upper part of the root, is a good medicine to 
weak ftomachs and cachedtic habits ; a decodtion of the 
whole plant deftroys lice, and cures the itch. It is not 
uncommon with a white corolla; this alfo is fometimes 
only four-cleft; in boggy places it is found with a very 
fhort flem, remarkably branched. Although good rea- 
fons be given by Mr. Curtis and Dr. Stokes, why this 
fpecies Ihould be removed into the genus Chironia, yet 
averfe from change we have left it where Linnaeus 
placed it, and other botanifis ftill continue it. 
33. Gentiana pulchella, or neat gentian : corolla five- 
cleft, tube elongated, ftyle limple, llalk quite lb. Stem 
fcarcely an inch high. Native of Sweden. 
34. Gentiana verticillata, or whorled gentian : corollas 
quinquefid, in whorls eight together. Stem about a 
liand high, round, and fomewhat woody. Native of the 
Ealt Indies. Linna;us fuppofes the South American 
plant to be the fame with this; it has however a,more 
tender branched llalk titan the American ; the leaves 
are fliorter snd narrower; the corollas narrower, with a 
longer tube, and fliarp but not mucronate fegments; the 
calyxes ovate-acute, with I'egments fliorter than the 
capfiile ; in the American plant the Item is more llitf 
ana robuft, with the angles fomewhat rugged, not fmooth 
and even; the fegments of the calyx narrower and re¬ 
flex. See No. 37. 
35. Gentiana maritima, or procumbent fea gentian : 
corollas five-cleft, flyles twin, ftem dichotomous few- 
flowered. This refembles G. centaurium, but the 
flowers are peduncled and yellow ; the leaves have not 
three nerves, but one only. Gerard adds, that the tube 
of the corolla is longer, the flov/ers fewer in number, 
and the ftyle double. And Pallas, that the fegments of 
the calyx pe a!moftcapillary;the tube of tlie corolla very 
narrow, dilated at the throat, the fegments of the border 
nearly linear; ftem feldom more than a hand high, fliarply 
four-cornered, dichotomous at top; leaves ufuallyoval, 
not ovate-lanceolate as in G. centaurium. Native of 
the fea coafts in the fouth of France, and Italy ; about 
Naples, &c. alio about Till is, and every where on the 
fliore of the Euxine, where it has uftially white corollas; 
liken ife in the Azores ; it is annual, and flowers in May; 
witli us in July and Auguft. ' 
36. Gentiana ipicata, or fpiked gentian: flowers al¬ 
ternate, feilile, corollas five-cleft. This is an annual 
plant, with an upright ftalk, about a foot high, fending 
out leveral branches towards the top; the flowers are 
produced from the fide and at the top of the ftalk, in 
loofe irregular umbels; they are white, and about the 
lize of thofe of common Centaury. Native of the fouth 
of France and Italy.—This has frequently purple co¬ 
rollas. 
37. Gentiana verticillarls, or rounded gentian : 
flowers in whorls, corollas five-cleft, ftalk extremely 
fimple. Native of America.—The Eaft-Indian plant. 
No. 34, is fcarcely difterent. Koenig fent two plants 
Iroiti the Eaft Indies, both agreeing with the Linna?an 
cliarablcr, but very diftincl from each other; with the 
ftalk angular at tlie bafe, but the upper part round, 
branchetl ;ind ftreaked ; the leaves lanceolate and three, 
nerved, the flowers in whorls from the upper axils; this 
is the fame with that which is deferibed above. With 
tlie ftalk regularly four-cornered, and perfectly fimple ; 
the leaves linear-lanceolate, flelliy, and nervelefs ; 
flowers from every axil, of the fame form and fize as 
the others; this is the plant wJiich is figured by Bur- 
man. 
38. Gentiana quinqueflora, or five-flowered gentian : 
corollas five-cleft, ftalk acute-angled, leaves ovate, ftem. 
clalping. Size and Ifature of G. amarella; ftem un¬ 
divided, four-cornered with the corners membranaceous. 
Found in Pennfylvania by Kahn. 
39. Gentiana fcilloides, or fquill-like gentian : corol¬ 
las five-cleft,bractes in pairs,ftalk one-flowered,proftrate 
branched, leaves obovate obtufe, three-nerved. A foot 
in height, tender and very fmooth, with but few 
branches. Found in the Azores by Malfon. See No. 35. 
40. Gentiana aphylla^ or leaflels gentian : corolla 
five-cleft, falver-ftiaped, ftalk leaflefs. A very fmall, 
filiform, annual plant, fcarcely branched, native of the 
mountainous woods of Martinico ; in the hollows of 
trees, fcarcely previous to the light; ftem upright, fim¬ 
ple, four inches high, tender, fliining, ftraw-coloured, 
withoppofite, very fhort, remote, ftipules, at the joints ; 
flower terminating, folitary, ereiit, yellowifli, inodorous. 
41. Gentiana amarella, or atitumnal gentian: co¬ 
rolla falver-fiiaped, five-cleft (fometimes four or even 
three), bearded at the throat, fegments of the calyx five, 
equal. So nearly allied, fays Linnaeus, to G. cam- 
peftris, as to be fcarcely dillinguifliable, except by the 
Calyx ; ftem fomewhat angular, branched, erect, bear¬ 
ing feveral pairs of feflile, ovate, three-nerved, dark- 
green leaves, and clothed from top to bottom with 
flowers, on fhort, axillary, forked, fide-branches, one 
being terminal. I'oiind in dry paftures, through moft 
parts of Europe, with us not uncommon, efpecially in 
calcareous foils; flowering from July to September; 
LinntEus lays, in the autumn, with Colchicum or mea¬ 
dow laffron, later than Campeftris ; according to Ray, 
at the end of Auguft, or fomewhat earlier. A variety 
under the name of “ the taller autumnal gentian, with 
centaury-like leaves,” is faid, in Ray’s Synopfis, to 
have been found near Welwyn in Hertfordfliire, and 
Belchamp St. Paul in Effex ; but it does not diti'er in 
any thing elfential from the other. Another variety is 
mentioned 
