Botanical name: Gentiana elwesii    Family: Gentianaceae (Gentian family)
Synonyms: Gentiana longipetiolata, Gentianodes elwesii, Gentianodes longipetiolata

Elwes Gentian is a perennial herb 8-20 cm tall, with blue to blue-purple, urn-shaped 2-2.5 cm long flowers. It is named after Henry John Elwes, 19th century British plant collector, author and naturalist; the first recipient of the Victoria Medal of the Royal Horticultural Society. Flowers are borne in 3-8-flowered clusters. Sepal tube is narrowly obconic, 6-7 mm, membranous; sepals lanceshaped, 2.5-3 mm, unequal, tip pointed, midvein indistinct. Flower are urn-shaped, 2-2.6 cm; petals ovate, 2-3 mm, margin entire, tip blunt; plicae auricular to flat, 1-1.5 mm, oblique, margin entire or finely toothed. Stamens inserted at basal part of flower tube; filaments 1.1-1.3 cm; anthers narrowly ellipsoid, 2-2.5 mm. Style 1-2 mm; stigma lobes oblong. Stems are purple, erect, simple, papillate. Leaf-stalk 3-8 x 2-3 mm, slightly broadened toward stem tip. Leaves are oblong to elliptic, 1-2 cm x 5-8 mm, base narrowed, margin smooth or ciliolate, tip blunt; vein 1, below distinct. Lower to middle stem leaves are widely spaced; upper leaves are crowded and surrounding base of flowers. Capsules are ovoid-ellipsoid, 1.3-1.5 cm. Elwes Gentian is found in Eastern Himalayas, from Nepal to Bhutan and NE India, at altitudes above 4000 m. Flowering: September.

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The flower labeled Elwes Gentian is ...