Gentian Family:-

Gentian Family plant table with its Common Name - Botanical Name. Flowering Months Range. Habitat with link to that Gentian to Goosefoot Wild Flower Families Gallery:-

Common Name

Botanical Name

Flowering Months

Habitat

Alpine Gentian

(Schnee Enzian in Germany, Snow Gentian in USA)

Gentiana nivalis

July-August

This is an annual or biennial herb of calcareous soils, most populations occurring in grazed herb-rich grassland. It is found on rock ledges, vegetated screes and adjacent slopes. Montane, from 730 m to 1095 m on Ben Lawers (Mid Perth).

Channel Centaury

(Slender Centaury in UK)

Centaurium tenuiflorum

June-September

This annual occurs on open, poorly drained sandy or clayey soils on slumping coastal cliffs. It will not persist in a closed sward, tending to appear a few years after the habitat is opened up, and disappear after about ten years unless open conditions are re-created. Lowland.

Chiltern Gentian

Gentianella germanica

August-September

An annual or biennial herb of shallow chalk soils, occurring in chalk grassland (frequently near tracks) and chalk-pits, and sometimes in open scrub and on woodland margins. Lowland.

Flower

Flowers from Chilterns on 20 August

Foliage from Chilterns on 20 August

Form

Common Centaury

(Echtes Tausendgü-ldenkraut in Germany, Centaura Menor Zantore in Spain, flockarun in Sweden, European centaury in USA, rohtosappi in Finland, Centuria zwyczajna in Poland, Dumpy Centaury)

Centaurium erythraea

(Erythraea centaurium, 
Centaurium umbellatum, 
Centaurium minus, Centaurium capitatum)

June onwards

A biennial, rarely annual, herb of mildly acidic to calcareous, well-drained, often disturbed, soils, occurring in a wide range of habitats including chalk and limestone grassland, heathland, woodland rides and open scrub, dune grassland, quarries, spoil-heaps and road verges. 0-330 m (Wauchope, Roxburghs.).

Flower on 2 July. Photo from BritishFlora

Flowers on 2 July. Photo from BritishFlora

Foliage on 2 July. Photo from BritishFlora

Form on 2 July. Photo from BritishFlora

Early Gentian

Gentianella anglica

May-June

An annual or biennial herb of shallow calcareous soils, especially on the chalk, in closely grazed calcareous grassland, quarries, on cliff-tops and sand dunes. Lowland. CORE MANAGEMENT PLAN INCLUDING CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES FOR LIMESTONE COAST OF SOUTH WEST WALES

Felwort

(angsgentiana in Swededn, Autumn Dwarfgentian in USA, Autumn Gentian)

Gentianella amarella

(Gentianella propinqua)

August-September

An annual or biennial herb of well-drained basic soils, typically occurring in grazed chalk and limestone grassland, on calcareous dunes and machair, on spoil-tips and in cuttings and quarries. Mainly lowland, ascending to 750 m (Knock Fell, Westmorland).

Flower from Queensdown Warren in Kent on 24 September

Flowers from Queensdown Warren on 24 September

Foliage from Detling on 9 August

Form from Detling in Kent on 9 August

Field Gentian

(Feld-Enzian in Germany, faltgentiana in Sweden)

Gentianella campestris

July onwards

A biennial, occasionally annual, herb of mildly acidic to neutral soils in a variety of open habitats, including pastures, hill grassland, grassy heaths, sand dunes, machair and road verges. On limestone it probably indicates surface leaching or the presence of non-calcareous superficial deposits. Generally lowland, but reaching 915 m at Cairnwell (E. Perth, S. Aberdeen).

Flower from Stoer in Sutherland on 31 July

Flowers from Stoer on 31 July

Foliage

Form from Stoer on 31 July

Guernsey Centaury

Exaculum pusillum

August

This tiny procumbent to ascending annual grows in moist, open, short turf in coastal dune-slacks. Winter-flooding and rabbit-grazing maintain the open conditions which this species requires. Lowland. It is very rare in damp seaside turf in North Guernsey.

Marsh Gentian

(Lungen-Enzian in Germany, klockgentiana in Sweden, Goryczka waskolistna in Poland)

Gentiana pneumonanthe

July-September

A long-lived perennial herb of damp acidic grassland and wet heaths, usually on relatively enriched soils, and often where there is seasonal movement of surface water. The opening up of the habitat by grazing or occasional light burning favours this species by promoting flowering. Lowland.

Flower from Isle of Purbeck in Dorset on 25 August

Flower from Frant on 12 September

Foliage from Frant

Form from Frant in Sussex on 21 September

Perennial Centaury

Centaurium scilloides

July-August

This perennial herb occurs on freely draining soils on the slopes of coastal cliffs. Most native populations are in grassland and maritime dwarf-shrub heath, often along eroded and trampled edges, with some extending into dune grassland. In S.E. England it occurs in lawns at both coastal and inland sites. Lowland.

Flower from Pembrokeshire on 15 July

Flowers from Pembrokeshire in Wales on 15 July

Foliage from Pembrokeshire on 14 July

Form

Seaside Centaury

(Strand Tausendgüldenkraut in Germany, kustarun in Sweden, 
Seaside Centaury in USA, Sea Centaury in UK)

Centaurium littorale

July-August

This biennial herb is confined to coastal dunes, the uppermost levels of saltmarshes and calcareous, humus-rich turf near the sea where competing vegetation is checked and the habitat kept open by grazing or trampling. Lowland.

Scottish Gentian

Gentianella septentrionalis

(Gentianella amarella ssp septentrionalis)

July-August

An annual or biennial herb growing on well-drained calcareous soils on machair and sand dunes, and in the Grampians on grassy mica-schist slopes and ledges and in limestone grassland. Generally lowland, but upper altitudinal limit unknown.

Flower

Flower Buds from Inchnadamph on 30 July

Foliage from Inchnadamph on 30 July

Form from Inchnadamph in Sutherland on 30 July

Slender Centaury

(Petite Centaurée in France, Tausend-güldenkraut in Germany, centaura in Spain, branched centaury in USA, Lesser Centaury in UK)

Centaurium pulchellum

June-September

An erect annual of mildly acidic to calcareous soils. Inland it is found in dry, open grasslands and heaths, in woodland rides, marl pits and other open, disturbed ground. On the coast it is a plant of open sandy and muddy grassy places, often by estuaries, sand dunes and in upper saltmarsh. Lowland.

Flower from Burham on 7 July

Flowers from Burham on 7 July

Foliage from Burham on 7 July

Form from Burham on 7 July

Slender Cicendia

Cicendia filiformis

July-August

An annual of open heathland habitats, growing on sandy and peaty soils of relatively high base-status which are damp in winter and spring; it is also found in damp pasture, woodland rides, dune-slacks and on cliffs. Reduced competition, caused by winter-flooding, grazing and disturbance, is essential. Lowland.

Spring Gentian

(Fruhlings-Enzian in Germany, Goryczka wiosenna in Poland)

Gentiana verna

April-June

A perennial herb of open, often stony, limestone grassland and calcareous glacial drift. It is also found on hummocks in calcareous flush communities, and in Ireland also on limestone pavement and fixed dunes. Upland in England, ascending from about 350 m to c. 730 m on Little Fell (Westmorland), but lowland in Ireland on the Burren (Co. Clare) down to near sea level.

Flower

Flowers from Teesdale in June

Foliage from Teesdale in June

Form

Welsh Gentian

(Dune Gentian, Dune Felwort in UK, sumpgentiana in Sweden)

Gentianella uliginosa

May-June

An annual of coastal dunes, dune-slacks and machair, usually in open ground or short vegetation maintained by grazing, disturbance or winter flooding. Lowland.

Yellow-Wort

(Centaurée jaune in France, Bitterling in Germany, clora in Spain)

Blackstonia perfoliata

June onwards

An annual or biennial herb of open dry (but frequently winter-wet), often stony, shallow basic soils. Its main habitats are calcareous grasslands and fixed sand dunes, but it can be an abundant colonist of disturbed ground, including quarries and railway cuttings, and on road verges and pathsides. Lowland.

Flower

Flowers

Foliage

Form

An old countryfarmer had a wife who nagged him mercilessly.

From morning till night she was always complaining about something.  The only time he got any relief was when he was out ploughing with his old mule.  He tried to plow a lot. 

One day, when he was out ploughing,  his wife brought him lunch in the field.  He drove the old mule into the shade, sat down on a stump, and began to eat his lunch. Immediately, his wife began nagging him again. Complain, nag, complain, nag  -  it just went on and on. 

All of a sudden, the old mule lashed out with both hind feet, caught her smack in the back of the head. Killed her dead on the spot. 

At the funeral several days later, the minister noticed something rather odd.  When a woman mourner would approach the old farmer, he would listen for a minute, then nod his head in agreement; but when a man mourner approached him, he would listen for a minute, then shake his head in disagreement.  This was so consistent, the minister decided to ask the old farmer about it. 

So after the funeral, the minister spoke to the old farmer, and asked him why he nodded his head and agreed with the women,  but always shook his head and disagreed with all the men. 

The old farmer said, 'Well, the women would come up and say  something about how nice my wife looked, or how pretty her dress was, so I'd nod my head in agreement.'  

'And what about the men?' the minister asked.  'They wanted to know if the mule was for sale.' 

British habitats: Maritime Sand-dunes