Gentiana saponaria Linnaeus. Section: Pneumonanthe. 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.
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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© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Gentiana saponaria, Coosa Valley Prairies, Floyd County, Georgia 2 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Gentiana saponaria, Coosa Valley Prairies, Floyd County, Georgia 3 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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Horticultural Information
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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