Tian-Shan Gentian is a perennial herb, up to 15-35
cm tall, hairless, with stout stringy roots. Stem is simple, reddish
brown, enveloped at base with old leaves. Basal leaves are longer than
stem leaves, arranged in rose-like pattern, 2-10 cm long, 1.0-5.0 cm
broad, linear-oblanceolate or lanceolate, margin slightly reflexed,
entire-scabrulous, acute, univeined. Stem-leaves are much smaller,
1.75-53 x 03-1.5 cm, lanceolate-oblanceolate, entire, purple rimmed,
pointed, sheathing at base, sheath 1.0-1.5 cm. Flower are borne in a
loosely clustered, few flowered cyme. Flowers are bell-shaped, 1.25-3
cm long, small-long stalked. Sepal cup is half the length of the
flower, split lobes being unequal, smallest, up to 0.5 cm long, all
linear, long-pointed, toothed. Flowers are dark blue or sky blue,
1.25-3.0 cm long, tube much longer than lobes, 1-2.5 cm long, petals
2.5-3 mm x 1.75-2.5 mm, ovate-obovate, entire, acute-acuminate, plicae
0.1-0.3 x 0.1-0.20 cm, lanceolate, acuminate. Stamens 5, filaments
slender, adnate at half the length of corolla, winged at base, anthers
dorsifixed, oblong, somewhat sagittate at base. Ovary
lanceolate-elliptic, style short, stigma bilobed. Nectaries at base of
ovary. Capsule ellipsoid-lanceolate. Seeds numerous, brown,
reticulated.
Tian-Shan Gentian is named after the Tien Shan Central Asia mountain
range. It is found in the Himalayas and China, at altitudes of
3200-3900 m.
Fl. Per.: July-September
Identification credit: Krishan Lal
Photographed in Kinnaur Distt, Himachal Pradesh
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The flower labeled Tian-Shan Gentian is ...