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Key to Gentiana

Gentianaceae

Gentiana

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(c) Bradley, Keith
1 Flower solitary (rarely 2 or 3); corolla spotted within; leaves twisted, oblanceolate to oblinear; [subgenus Pneumonanthe, series Angustifoliae].
  2 Calyx lobes widest at base, the sides then parallel upward for a distance; corolla exterior intensely indigo blue; [of s. NJ and adjacent DE, and from se. VA south through e. NC to nc. SC]
  2 Calyx lobes widest above the base, narrowing upward and downward from that point; corolla exterior dull purplish-green; [of FL Panhandle]
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
1 Flowers clustered; corolla not spotted within; leaves planar, mostly lanceolate, elliptic, or ovate (rarely linear); subgenus Pneumonanthe, series Pneumonanthe].
    3 Corolla white or greenish white to yellowish white (sometimes with purplish venation but not otherwise tinged with blue except when senescing); calyx lobes keeled or not.
      4 Leaves widest below the middle, acuminate; calyx usually < 1.5 cm; seed winged
      4 Leaves widest near or above middle, acute to obtuse but not acuminate; calyx usually >2 cm; seed unwinged
    3 Corolla blue, purplish blue, pale blue, or white but then usually tinged with blue; calyx lobes not keeled
        5 Corolla greenish-white (sometimes somewhat purplish); seeds wingless; lower leaves spatulate to obovate
        5 Corolla blue, purplish, pale blue, or nearly white; seeds winged; lower leaves linear, lanceolate, elliptic, or ovate.
          6 Margins of leaves and calyx lobes entire to minutely denticulate; corolla appendages obliquely triangular, broader than high (sometimes with a minute deflexed segment)
          6 Margins of leaves and calyx lobes conspicuously ciliate (as seen at 10× magnification); corolla appendages with 2 teeth, as long as broad or longer (sometimes with a deflexed segment, if so, the deflexed segment about as long as the erect one).
(c) Berger, Matt - CC-BY
             7 Anthers separate at anthesis; outer surfaces of petals suffused with green; calyx lobes linear-subulate, about as long as the tube; corolla lobes 6-14 mm long, about 2× as long as the free portions of the corolla appendages
(c) Breeden, Cooper - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
             7 Anthers connate at anthesis; outer surfaces of petals not suffused with green; calyx lobes various; corolla lobes usually shorter.
(c) Cressler, Alan M.
(c) Cressler, Alan M.
               8 Calyx lobes linear-subulate, broadest at the base, 4× or more as long as broad, shorter than the densely puberulent calyx tube; stems densely puberulent; corolla appendages very unevenly bifid, the narrower segment often deflexed into the corolla tube
               8 Calyx lobes lanceolate, oblanceolate, ovate, or orbicular, 1-5× as long as broad, longer or shorter than the glabrous or puberulent calyx tube; stems glabrous or puberulent; corolla appendages subequally bifid, both segments erect.
(c) Cressler, Alan M.
                 9 Involucral and upper leaves obtuse to acute (rarely acuminate); calyx lobes lanceolate; corollas open to loosely closed.
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
                   10 Leaves ovate, widest near the base, bright green; calyx lobes longer than the calyx tube; corolla lobes spreading, usually 2-4 mm longer than the appendages
(c) Cressler, Alan M.
                   10 Leaves linear to elliptic, widest near the middle, dark green; calyx lobes shorter than or about equal to the calyx tube; corolla lobes usually incurved, rarely exceeding the appendages by > 2 mm
                 9 Involucral and upper leaves acuminate; calyx lobes ovate-orbicular; corollas tightly closed (rarely loosely closed to open).
                     11 Corolla lobes reduced to a minute mucro or triangular tooth (0.5-1.0 mm long), much exceeded by the corolla appendages in both length and width
                     11 Corolla lobes about as wide as the corolla appendages, and either about as long as or much exceeded by the corolla appendages in length.
                       12 Calyx tubes glabrous; calyx lobes either widely elliptic, ovate, obovate, orbicular, or rhombic, spreading widely, or lanceolate and ascending; stems glabrous; filaments 8-15 mm long; corolla lobes 0.7-5.0 mm long, usually rounded, about as wide as the corolla appendages.
                          13 Calyx lobes lanceolate and ascending, > 2.5× as long as wide; filaments 8-12 mm long; corolla lobes 1.5-3 mm long, shorter than the corolla appendages; [IL and MO northwards and westwards]
                          13 Calyx lobes widely elliptic, ovate, obovate, orbicular, or rhombic, spreading widely, all or most of them < 2× as long as wide; filaments 10-15 mm long; corolla lobes either 0.7-2.0 mm or 2.5-5.0 mm long; [sw. NC and e. TN northwards, mainly Appalachian].
(c) Powell, Eric M - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
                            14 Calyx lobes widely obovate to orbicular, 2-10 mm long; corolla lobes 0.7-2.0 mm long; [sw. NC and e. TN northwards, mainly Appalachian]
                            14 Calyx lobes obovate, elliptic, ovate, orbicular, or rhombic, (3-) 5-25 (-35) mm long; corolla lobes 2.5-5.0 mm long; [Mountains of NC, south of Asheville]