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Gentianaceae
Gentiana

Gentiana saponaria Linnaeus. Common name: Soapwort Gentian, Harvestbells. Phenology: Aug-Nov. Habitat: Bogs, marshes, wet hardwood forests, other moist to wet habitats. Distribution: NY west to n. IL, south to Panhandle FL and e. TX.

Glossary (beta!)

Section: Pneumonanthe.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: A peculiar form with very narrow leaves has been found at several localities in Ashe and Watauga counties, NC and in the South Mountains, NC; it may warrant taxonomic recognition after further study.

Synonymy ⓘ: = C, Fl5, FNA14, GW2, Il, K4, Mi, NY, Pa, RAB, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, Halda (1996), Ho & Liu (2001), Pringle & Weakley (2009), Pringle (1967a); = Dasystephana saponaria (L.) Small — S; = Gentiana saponaria L. var. saponaria; = Pneumonanthe saponaria (L.) F.W.Schmidt; > Dasystephana cherokeensis W.P.Lemmon; > Gentiana cherokeensis (W.P.Lemmon) Fernald — F, G; > Gentiana saponaria L. — F, G, WV; Gentiana saponaria L. Basionym: Gentiana saponaria L. 1753

Links to other floras: = Gentiana saponaria - FNA14

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW
  • Midwest: FACW
  • Northcentral & Northeast: FACW

Heliophily ⓘ: 7

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image of plant© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Derick Poindexter | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan Cressler: Gentiana saponaria, Brasstown Valley Seeps, Towns County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source
image of plant© Cooper Breeden, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Cooper Breeden source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Cooper Breeden, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Cooper Breeden source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan Cressler: Gentiana saponaria, Coosa Valley Prairies, Floyd County, Georgia 2 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Theo Witsell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Theo Witsell source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Brian Finzel, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Brian Finzel source CC-BY-SA | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan Cressler: Gentiana saponaria, Coosa Valley Prairies area, Floyd County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source
image of plant© Cooper Breeden, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Cooper Breeden source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alaina Krakowiak, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alaina Krakowiak source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan Cressler: Gentiana saponaria, Coosa Valley Prairies, Floyd County, Georgia 3 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan Cressler: Gentiana saponaria, Chattahoochee National Forest, Lumpkin County, Georgia 4 by Alan Cressler source
image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋）, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋）, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© cassi saari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by cassi saari source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan Cressler: Gentiana saponaria, Buck Creek Serpentine Barrens, Nantahala National Forest, Clay County, North Carolina 1 by Alan Cressler source
image of plant© Brian Finzel, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Brian Finzel source CC-BY-SA | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alaina Krakowiak, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alaina Krakowiak source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Tara Rose Littlefield, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Tara Rose Littlefield source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© abelkinser, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© abelkinser, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect, sometimes sprawling, perennial of bogs, marshes, wet hardwood forests and other moist to wet habitats.

Stems: Stems unbranched, smooth or minutely rough.

Leaves: Leaves opposite, sessile, elliptic, to 3 1/2 in. long, with prominent center vein, glossy and sometimes minutely rough-hairy.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers sessile in leafy, compact terminal cluster (additional small clusters may be in upper leaf axils); purplish-blue; 1-2 in. long; tubular and bottle-shaped, with the 5 short lobes at the corolla tip typically closed. A green, cup-shaped calyx with 5 lance-shaped lobes surrounds the base of each flower.

Fruits: Fruit an ellipsoid capsule.

Comments:

Height: 8-24 in.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect, sometimes sprawling, perennial of bogs, marshes, wet hardwood forests and other moist to wet habitats.

stems: Stems unbranched, smooth or minutely rough.

leaves: Leaves opposite, sessile, elliptic, to 3 1/2 in. long, with prominent center vein, glossy and sometimes minutely rough-hairy.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers sessile in leafy, compact terminal cluster (additional small clusters may be in upper leaf axils); purplish-blue; 1-2 in. long; tubular and bottle-shaped, with the 5 short lobes at the corolla tip typically closed. A green, cup-shaped calyx with 5 lance-shaped lobes surrounds the base of each flower.

fruits: Fruit an ellipsoid capsule.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: eastern United States



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