Synonyms: Chionogentias APNI*
Description: Annual or biennial herbs, branched mainly from the basal rosette.
Leaves usually in rosettes, rarely opposite, sessile or petiolate, entire, narrow-elliptic to elliptic, linear.
Inflorescence of single or multiple spikes. Flowers cup-shaped, mostly 5-merous; sepals scarcely fused at base and uneven in length and width; petals white and overlapping in bud. Stamens alternating with the petals; filaments scarcely fused to the corolla tube; anthers versatile. Ovary 1-locular; ovules in 4 equal rows; style absent, stigmas bivalved.
Capsule septicidal at the mouth, dry, brown, and leathery when seeds are ripe. Seeds spherical, pale to dark brown, densely rugose.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 200 species, northern & southern temperate regions, except Africa. Australia: 12 species, N.S.W., Vic., Tas., S.A. Usually found in alpine areas.
Text by G. J. Harden; updated Louisa Murray (Nov 2012)
Taxon concept: David Glenny (2004): A revision of the genus Gentianella in New Zealand, New Zealand Journal of Botany, 42:3, 361-530
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Pedicels subfiliform, mostly < 0.8 mm diameter when fresh, 0.3–0.5 mm when dry;calyx lobes rarely > 7 mm, the apices narrow-acute, acuminate or subulate, often spreading or ± recurved, at least in bud, if ± erect then plants mainly flowering in early summer | 2 |
| Pedicels usually not subfiliform, mostly 0.8–1 mm diameter when fresh, 0.5 mm or more dried; calyx lobes otherwise, the apices not or hardly spreading, if narrow acute then lobes up to 12 mm long and plants mainly flowering mid to late summer or early autumn | 3 |
| 2 | Terminal inflorescence not subcorymbose, usually 5–7-flowered; seeds pale to greyish-orange | Gentianella polysperes |
| Terminal inflorescence mostly 12–25 flowered; seeds light to dark olive-brown
Back to 1 | Gentianella sylvicola |
| 3 | Stems usually 15–25 cm high; anthers 2.3–3 mm long; plants sometimes flowering more than once (remnants of previous years inflorescence sometimes apparent) | Gentianella muelleriana |
| Stems 25–55 cm high; anthers 1.7–2 mm long; plants flowering only once
Back to 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Basal leaves linear-oblanceolate to oblanceolate, 6–15 mm wide | Gentianella cunninghamii |
| Basal leaves narrow-oblanceolate, 3–7 mm wide
Back to 3 | Gentianella barringtonensis |
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