greater fringed gentian

(Gentianopsis crinita)

Conservation Status
greater fringed gentian
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N4 - Apparently Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

OBL - Obligate wetland

     
  Midwest

OBL - Obligate wetland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACW - Facultative wetland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Greater fringed gentian is a 12 to 32 tall, erect, annual or biennial forb that rises on a single stem from a taproot.

The stems are erect, hairless, leafy, and often branched above the middle.

The leaves are opposite, lance egg-shaped to lance-shaped, stalkless, 1¼ to 2 long, and to ¾ wide. They taper to a point at the tip and are rounded or slightly heart-shaped at the base. The upper and lower surfaces are hairless. The margins are untoothed.

The inflorescence is a solitary flower on a 2 to 8 long stalk at the end of the stem and each of the branches.

The flowers are narrowly bell-shaped, erect, 1¼ to 2¼ high, and and 1½ to 2 wide. There are 4 light green sepals fused together from the base to about half of their length into a ¾ to 1½ long tube, then separated into 2 long and 2 short lobes. The lobes are erect, pointed, and hairless or nearly hairless. There are 4 bright blue petals fused from the base for three-quarters of their length into a tube then separated at the tip into 4 widely spreading lobes. There are no pleats between the petals. The lobes are egg-shaped, rounded, and deeply fringed around their entire margin except near the base. The flowers open on sunny days and remain closed on cloudy days.

The fruit is a spindle-shaped, 1-chambered capsule containing many seeds.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

12 to 32

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Bright blue

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
  Lesser fringed gentian (Gentianopsis virgata ssp. virgata) is a smaller plant, no more than 20 tall. The leaves are linear. The petal margins are shallowly fringed near the throat and are toothed only near the tip.  
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moist. Wet meadows, low woods, streambanks.

 
     
 
Biology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

August to October

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29.

 
  8/26/2015      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

 

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  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

Gentianopsis (fringed gentian)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Anthopogon crinitum

Gentiana crinita

Gentiana ventricosa

Gentianella crinita

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

fringed gentian

greater fringed gentian

greater fringed-gentian

ovalleaf fringed gentian

 
       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Linear

Long, straight, and narrow, with more or less parallel sides, like a blade of grass.

 

Sepal

An outer floral leaf, usually green but sometimes colored, at the base of a flower.

       
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Bill Reynolds
       
  greater fringed gentian   greater fringed gentian
       
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Inflorescence

  greater fringed gentian   greater fringed gentian
       

Flower

  greater fringed gentian   greater fringed gentian
       
  greater fringed gentian   greater fringed gentian
       
  greater fringed gentian    
       
       

 

Camera

     
Slideshows
   
  Gentianopsis crinita (Fringed Gentian)
Allen Chartier
 
  Gentianopsis crinita (Fringed Gentian)  
     
  Gentianopsis crinita
Joshua Mayer
 
  Gentianopsis crinita  
 
About

Fringed Gentian

 
     

 

slideshow

       
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Visitor Sightings
   

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Bill Reynolds
8/25/2015

Location: Pennington County

 

greater fringed gentian


     
     
 
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