Gentiana decora Pollard. Common name: Appalachian Gentian. Phenology: Sep-Oct. Habitat: Forests. Distribution: A Southern Appalachian endemic: c. WV south through w. VA to w. NC, e. TN, nw. SC, ne. GA.
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Synonymy ⓘ: = C, F, FNA14, G, K4, RAB, Tn, Va, W, WV, Halda (1996), Ho & Liu (2001), Pringle & Weakley (2009), Pringle (1967a); = Pneumonanthe decora (Pollard) Greene; < Dasystephana decora (Pollard) Small — S. Basionym: Gentiana decora Pollard 1900
Links to other floras: = Gentiana decora - FNA14
Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)
Heliophily ⓘ: 4
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© Alan Cressler: Gentiana decora, Chattahoochee National Forest, Murray County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Gentiana decora, Blood Mountain, Blood Mountain Wilderness, Chattahoochee National Forest, Union County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Gentiana decora, Nantahala National Forest, Macon County, North Carolina 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Radford, Ahles and Bell | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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Horticultural Information
Intro: Erect perennial found in dry and dry-moist, acidic forests, especially mixed oak, oak/heath and northern red oak forests.
Stems: Stems ridged, unbranched, densely hairy (especially on ridges).
Leaves: Leaves opposite (6-8 pairs below inflorescence), sessile to short-petiolate, elliptic to oval, to 4 in. long.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers 2-12 in a leafy, compact, terminal cluster; white streaked with blue or purple; 1-2 in. long; tubular, the corolla split into 5 lobes at the opening and surrounding by a shorter, cup-shaped calyx tube, which is densely hairy and split into 5 linear, pointed lobes.
Fruits: Fruit an ellipsoid capsule.
Comments:
Height: 11-25 in.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Erect perennial found in dry and dry-moist, acidic forests, especially mixed oak, oak/heath and northern red oak forests.
stems: Stems ridged, unbranched, densely hairy (especially on ridges).
leaves: Leaves opposite (6-8 pairs below inflorescence), sessile to short-petiolate, elliptic to oval, to 4 in. long.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers 2-12 in a leafy, compact, terminal cluster; white streaked with blue or purple; 1-2 in. long; tubular, the corolla split into 5 lobes at the opening and surrounding by a shorter, cup-shaped calyx tube, which is densely hairy and split into 5 linear, pointed lobes.
fruits: Fruit an ellipsoid capsule.
comments:
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range:
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