Rose gentian
Also known as: square-stem rose gentian, rose-pink, marsh-pink
Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Erect, 4-angled, prominently winged on edges, glabrous; branches usually 2 per node, opposite, at or above stem middle.
- Leaves
- Opposite, simple, ovate to lance-ovate, .6 to 1.6 inches long, .3 to 1 inch wide, 3-nerved, sessile; margins entire; base rounded to nearly heart-shaped.
- Inflorescence
- Cymes, small, few-flowered, terminal, arranged in corymbose or pyramidal manner; 20 to 50+ flowers.
- Flower
- Showy; stalk .2 to 1.2 inch long; calyx tube slender, .4 to .8 inch long in flower, to 1.6 inch long in fruit; sepals 5, narrowly linear, elongate; corolla wheel-shaped, about 1 inch across; lobes 5, spatulate to elliptic, 2/5 to 4/5 inch long, 1/6 to 1/4 inch wide, united near base, pink to rose or rarely white with yellow or greenish-yellow triangular spot at base often bordered by red line; stamens 5, anthers bright yellow; stigma 2 lobed.
- Fruit
- Capsule, cylindrical at maturity, to 1/3 inch long, many-seeded.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Moist prairies and moist, open woods; sandy or peaty soils.
- Distribution
- Southeast corner of Kansas.
Practical Information
- Uses
- Native Americans used an infusion of the plant to treat menstrual pains.
Additional Notes
Comments
Named in honor of Liberatus Sabbati, an Italian botanist in the 1700s. Sweet-scented and long-lasting.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Gentianaceae - Gentian Family
- Life Span
- Annual
- Height
- 4-32 inches
- Origin
- Native
- Last Updated
- 2018-02-22
Color Groups
Pink, Red & Orange Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: July, August