Gentiana decora Pollard. Section: Pneumonanthe. 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
Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.








Feedback
See something wrong or missing on about Gentiana decora? Let us know here: (Please include your name and email if at all complicated so we can clarify if needed.) We greatly appreciate feedback, and will include updates from you in our next webapp update, which can take a few months. If a species is not keyed, that's because keying is ongoing. Please don't send us feedback about unkeyed species.
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:
0 unsaved edits on this page.