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Whitish Gentian
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Whitish Gentian
P Native Photo: Ramesh Kadyan
Common name: Whitish Gentian, Arctic Gentian
Botanical name: Gentiana algida    Family: Gentianaceae (Gentian family)
Synonyms: Gentiana frigida var. algida, Gentianodes algida

Whitish Gentian is a perennial herb with yellowish-white flowers spotted with blue, and blue-ribbed outside, borne in stalked clusters of 1-3, in leaf axils or at branch ends. The plant has erect stems 7.5-15 cm tall. Flowers are 2.5-4.5 cm long, funnel-shaped, with erect, triangular, widely spaced petals. The lobules (false petals) may or may not be present. Calyx is tube-shaped, about 2 cm long, purple-tinged, unequal, oblong, widely separated sepals. Leaves at the base are linear-oblong to spoon-shaped, blunt, thick and fleshy, 2.5-5 cm long. The base is often covered with old leaf-bases, Stem leaves are borne in several pairs, lanceshaped, shorter. Whitish Gentian is found in the Himalayas, from Kashmir to Sikkim, Bhutan and SW China, and also N Asia (Siberia), at altitudes of 1200-5600 m.

Identification credit: Tabish Photographed in Arunachal Pradesh.

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