American spurred gentian
(Halenia deflexa ssp. deflexa)
Conservation • Wetland • Description • Habitat • Biology • Use • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | not listed |
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| NatureServe | N5? - Secure SNR - Unranked |
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| Minnesota | not listed | |||||||
Wetland Indicator Status |
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| Great Plains | FAC - Facultative |
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| Midwest | FAC - Facultative |
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| Northcentral & Northeast | FAC - Facultative |
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Description |
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American spurred gentian is an erect, annual forb that rises on a rosette of basal leaves and a single flowering stem. It can be 8″ to 36″ tall but us usually no more than 16″ in height. The stems is erect, hairless, and has four rounded angles. It is usually unbranched but sometimes has a few branches above the middle. Basal leaves are spatula-shaped or inversely lance-shaped, 2″ to 4″ long, and narrowed to a short stalk. Stem leaves are opposite, lance-shaped to egg-shaped, unlobed, ¾″ to 2″ long, ⅜″ to 1″ wide, and stalkless. The upper and lower surfaces are hairless. There are 3 to 5 parallel veins. The margins are untoothed. The inflorescence is a loose, branched, cyme-like cluster of 2 to 9 flowers, usually 5 or more, at the end of the stem and also rising from upper leaf axils. Each flower is at the end of a stem that is up to 1½″ long. The flowers are ⅜″ to ½″ long. There are 4 sepals, 4 petals, 4 stamens, and 1 style. The sepals are green and 3 ⁄16″ long. They are united at the base into a very short tube then separated into 4 narrowly lance-shaped lobes. The petals are green to yellowish, often tinged with purple. They are united at the base into a short corolla tube then separated into 4 lance-shaped lobes. Each lobe has a tubular, downward-pointing, about 3 ⁄16″ long spur at the base. The style has a 2-lobed stigma. The fruit is a cone-shaped, curved, seed capsule that protrudes horn-like beyond the persistent corolla at maturity. |
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Height |
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8″ to 36″, usually 16″ or less |
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Flower Color |
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Green to yellowish, often tinged with purple |
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Similar Species |
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| The four-spurred corolla is distinctive. There are no similar species. | ||
Habitat |
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Moist to wet. Coniferous forests, especially at the edges; cedar swamps; bogs; river banks; road clearings; and trails. Partial shade. |
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Biology |
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Flowering |
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July to August |
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Pests and Diseases |
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Use |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 2/14/2023 | ||||
Nativity |
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Native |
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Occurrence |
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Locally common American spurred gentian is often encountered in moist woods on trails that are wide enough to allow some sunlight to filter through. |
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Taxonomy |
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| Kingdom | Plantae (green algae and land plants) | ||
| Subkingdom | Viridiplantae (green plants) | ||
| Infrakingdom | Streptophyta (land plants and green algae) | ||
| Superdivision | Embryophyta (land plants) | ||
| Division | Tracheophyta (vascular plants) | ||
| Subdivision | Spermatophytina (seed plants) | ||
| Class | Magnoliopsida (flowering plants) | ||
| Superorder | Asteranae | ||
Order |
Gentianales (gentians, dogbanes, madders, and allies) | ||
Family |
Gentianaceae (gentian) | ||
| Tribe | Gentianeae (gentian) | ||
| Subtribe | Swertiinae (dwarf, fringed, and green gentians) | ||
Genus |
Halenia | ||
| Species | Halenia deflexa (spurred gentian) | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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Synonyms |
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Halenia deflexa var.deflexa Swertia deflexa |
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Common Names |
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American spurred gentian American spurred-gentian spurred-gentian |
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Glossary
Corolla
A collective name for all of the petals of a flower.
Cyme
A branched, flat-topped or convex flower cluster in which the terminal flower opens first and the outermost flowers open last.
Sepal
An outer floral leaf, usually green but sometimes colored, at the base of a flower.
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