MARSH GENTIAN

Gentiana pneumonanthe

Gentian Family [Gentianaceae]

month8jul month8july month8aug month8sep month8sept

status
statusZnative
 
flower
flower8blue
 
flower
flower8white
grey
inner
inner8green
 
morph
morph8actino
 
petals
petalsZ5
 
type
typeZtubular
 
stem
stem8round
 
rarity
rarityZscarce
 

10th Aug 2014, Bartley Heath, Hamps. Photo: © Simon Melville
Despite it's common name it does not grow in marshes, but rather on wet heaths growing to 40cm. Each plant has a few flowers (1 to 10, but can be as high as 28).


10th Aug 2014, Bartley Heath, Hamps. Photo: © Simon Melville
Tubular flowers barely flaring at the extremities. Leaves near the top are linear and 15-40mm long and greyish with short grey hairs. Flowers 25-50mm long.


10th Aug 2014, Bartley Heath, Hamps. Photo: © Simon Melville
Flowers a clear sky-blue with both white and grey vertical streaks. Five sepals long and linear.


10th Aug 2014, Bartley Heath, Hamps. Photo: © Simon Melville
A 5-petalled gentian, the petals having grey spots more visible on the inside.


Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature :

A fairly rare [RR] plant which grows up to 4cm high not in marshes as its common name might suggest but on fairly wet heaths. It exhibits a clear sky-blue colour with white and grey or green streaks on the outside of the petals, and grey spots on the inside. Leaves are narrow linear. It is to be found very locally in places such as Dorset to East Sussex through to North East Yorks and Westmorland but is decreasing.


  Gentiana pneumonanthe  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Gentianaceae  

Distribution
 family8Gentian family8Gentianaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Gentiana
Gentiana
(Gentians)

MARSH GENTIAN

Gentiana pneumonanthe

Gentian Family [Gentianaceae]