356 Species in Genus Gentiana

March 2 – Gentiana
"Gentiana, the alpine gentian, defines March 2."
Gentiana’s deep blue flowers represent depth and tranquility. You are introspective and thoughtful, with a calming presence that soothes those around you. Like this flower, you thrive in the most pristine and untouched parts of life.

Gentiana: A World of Blue Blossoms

My name is Ferb Vu, and I’m fascinated by the Gentiana genus from the Gentianaceae family. These hardy plants, with their vibrant blue flowers, have captivated me since I first encountered them high in the Alps. Their ability to thrive in harsh conditions, their striking beauty, and their historical significance all contribute to their allure.

A Diverse Genus

Gentiana is a large genus, boasting over 300 species. These species are diverse, ranging from low-growing alpine plants to taller species found in meadows and woodlands. They are distributed worldwide, primarily in temperate and alpine regions of Europe, Asia, and the Americas:

1. Gentiana acaulis L.
2. Gentiana affinis Griseb.
3. Gentiana alba Muhl. ex J.McNab
4. Gentiana albescens (Franch.) Franch. ex Kusn.
5. Gentiana albicalyx Burkill
6. Gentiana algida Pall.
7. Gentiana alii (Omer & Qaiser) T.N.Ho
8. Gentiana alpina Vill.
9. Gentiana alsinoides Franch.
10. Gentiana altigena Harry Sm.
11. Gentiana altorum Harry Sm. ex C.Marquand
12. Gentiana × ambigua Hayek
13. Gentiana amplicrater Burkill
14. Gentiana andrewsii Griseb. Plant FAQs: Gentiana Andrewsii – Bottle Gentian – Closed Gentian
15. Gentiana angustifolia Vill.
16. Gentiana anisostemon C.Marquand
17. Gentiana aperta Maxim.
18. Gentiana apiata N.E.Br.
19. Gentiana aquatica L.
20. Gentiana arenicola Kerr
21. Gentiana arethusae Burkill
22. Gentiana argentea (Royle ex D.Don) Royle ex D.Don
23. Gentiana arisanensis Hayata
24. Gentiana aristata Maxim.
25. Gentiana arunii D.Maity, S.K.Dey, J.Ghosh & Midday
26. Gentiana asclepiadea L.
27. Gentiana asterocalyx Diels
28. Gentiana atlantica Litard. & Maire
29. Gentiana atuntsiensis W.W.Sm.
30. Gentiana austromontana J.S.Pringle & Sharp
31. Gentiana autumnalis L.
32. Gentiana baeuerlenii L.G.Adams
33. Gentiana bambuseti T.Y.Hsieh, T.C.Hsu, S.M.Ku & C.I Peng
34. Gentiana bavarica L.
35. Gentiana beamanii J.S.Pringle
36. Gentiana bella Franch.
37. Gentiana bicentenaria A.Estrada & A.Rojas
38. Gentiana bicuspidata (G.Don) Briq.
39. Gentiana × billingtonii Farw.
40. Gentiana boissieri Schott & Kotschy ex Boiss.
41. Gentiana bokorensis Hul
42. Gentiana bolavenensis A.Nagah., Tagane & Soulad.
43. Gentiana borneensis Hook.f.
44. Gentiana boryi Boiss.
45. Gentiana brachyphylla Vill.
46. Gentiana bredboensis L.G.Adams
47. Gentiana brentae Prosser & Bertolli
48. Gentiana bryoides Burkill
49. Gentiana burseri Lapeyr.
50. Gentiana cachemirica Decne.
51. Gentiana caelestis (C.Marquand) Harry Sm.
52. Gentiana caeruleogrisea T.N.Ho
53. Gentiana caliculata Lex.
54. Gentiana calycosa Griseb.
55. Gentiana capitata Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don
56. Gentiana carinata (D.Don ex G.Don) Griseb.
57. Gentiana carinicostata Wernham
58. Gentiana catesbaei Walter
59. Gentiana cephalantha Franch.
60. Gentiana cephalodes Edgew.
61. Gentiana × charpentieri E.Thomas ex Hegetschw.
62. Gentiana chinensis Kusn.
63. Gentiana choanantha C.Marquand
64. Gentiana chungtienensis C.Marquand
65. Gentiana clarkei Kusn.
66. Gentiana clausa Raf. Plant FAQs: Gentiana Clausa – Closed Bottle Gentian
67. Gentiana clusii Perr. & Songeon
68. Gentiana confertifolia C.Marquand
69. Gentiana coronata Royle
70. Gentiana crassa Kurz
71. Gentiana crassicaulis Duthie ex Burkill
72. Gentiana crassula Harry Sm.
73. Gentiana crassuloides Bureau & Franch.
74. Gentiana cristata Harry Sm.
75. Gentiana cruciata L.
76. Gentiana cruttwellii Harry Sm.
77. Gentiana cuneibarba Harry Sm.
78. Gentiana × curtisii J.S.Pringle
79. Gentiana dahurica Fisch.
80. Gentiana davidi Franch.
81. Gentiana decemfida Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don
82. Gentiana decora Pollard
83. Gentiana decumbens L.f.
84. Gentiana delavayi Franch.
85. Gentiana deltoidea Harry Sm.
86. Gentiana dendrologi C.Marquand
87. Gentiana densiflora T.N.Ho
88. Gentiana depressa D.Don
89. Gentiana × digenea Jakow.
90. Gentiana divaricata T.N.Ho
91. Gentiana diversifolia Merr.
92. Gentiana douglasiana Bong.
93. Gentiana dschungarica Regel
94. Gentiana dshimilensis K.Koch
95. Gentiana duclouxii Franch.
96. Gentiana durangensis Villarreal
97. Gentiana ecaudata C.Marquand
98. Gentiana elmeriana Halda
99. Gentiana elwesii C.B.Clarke
100. Gentiana emodi C.Marquand ex Sealy
101. Gentiana ettingshausenii F.Muell.
102. Gentiana exigua Harry Sm.
103. Gentiana faucipilosa Harry Sm.
104. Gentiana fieldiana J.S.Pringle
105. Gentiana filistyla Balf.f. & Forrest
106. Gentiana flavomaculata Hayata
107. Gentiana flexicaulis Harry Sm.
108. Gentiana formosa Harry Sm.
109. Gentiana forrestii C.Marquand
110. Gentiana franchetiana Kusn.
111. Gentiana fremontii Torr.
112. Gentiana frigida Haenke
113. Gentiana froelichii Jan ex Rchb.
114. Gentiana futtereri Diels & Gilg
115. Gentiana × gaudiniana E.Thomas ex W.D.J.Koch
116. Gentiana gayi Griseb.
117. Gentiana gelida M.Bieb.
118. Gentiana georgei Diels
119. Gentiana gilvostriata C.Marquand
120. Gentiana glauca Pall.
121. Gentiana grandiflora Laxm.
122. Gentiana × grandilacustris J.S.Pringle
123. Gentiana grata Harry Sm.
124. Gentiana × grisebachiana Rouy
125. Gentiana grumii Kusn.
126. Gentiana gyirongensis T.N.Ho
127. Gentiana handeliana Harry Sm.
128. Gentiana haraldi-smithii Halda
129. Gentiana harrowiana Diels
130. Gentiana haynaldii Kanitz
131. Gentiana heleonastes Harry Sm.
132. Gentiana helophila Balf.f. & Forrest
133. Gentiana hesseliana Hosseus
134. Gentiana hexaphylla Maxim. ex Kusn.
135. Gentiana himalayensis T.N.Ho
136. Gentiana hirsuta Ma & E.W.Ma ex T.N.Ho
137. Gentiana hohoxiliensis S.K.Wu & R.F.Huang
138. Gentiana hooperi J.S.Pringle
139. Gentiana hsinganica J.H.Yu
140. Gentiana hugelii Griseb.
141. Gentiana huxleyi Kusn.
142. Gentiana × hybrida Schleich. ex DC.
143. Gentiana intricata C.Marquand
144. Gentiana jamesii Hemsl.
145. Gentiana jarmilae Halda
146. Gentiana jingdongensis T.N.Ho
147. Gentiana jouyana Hul
148. Gentiana kaohsiungensis Chih H.Chen & J.C.Wang
149. Gentiana kauffmanniana Regel & Schmalh.
150. Gentiana khammouanensis Hul
151. Gentiana kirilowii Turcz.
152. Gentiana kurroo Royle
153. Gentiana kurumbae Anilkumar & Udayan
154. Gentiana lacerulata Harry Sm.
155. Gentiana laciniata Kit. ex Kanitz
156. Gentiana × laengstii Hausm.
157. Gentiana laevigata M.Martens & Galeotti
158. Gentiana lagodechiana (Kusn.) Grossh.
159. Gentiana langbianensis A.Chev. ex S.Hul
160. Gentiana laotica Soulad., Tagane & Yahara
161. Gentiana lateriflora Hemsl.
162. Gentiana latidens (House) J.S.Pringle & Weakley
163. Gentiana lawrencei Burkill
164. Gentiana laxiflora T.N.Ho
165. Gentiana leroyana Hul
166. Gentiana leucomelaena Maxim. ex Kusn.
167. Gentiana lhassica Burkill
168. Gentiana liangshanensis Z.Y.Zhu
169. Gentiana licentii Harry Sm.
170. Gentiana ligustica R.Vilm. & Chopinet
171. Gentiana linearis Froel.
172. Gentiana lineolata Franch.
173. Gentiana linoides Franch.
174. Gentiana loerzingii Ridl.
175. Gentiana longicollis G.L.Nesom
176. Gentiana loureiroi (G.Don) Griseb.
177. Gentiana lowryi Hul
178. Gentiana lutea L.
179. Gentiana lycopodioides Stapf
180. Gentiana macgregoryi Hemsl.
181. Gentiana macrophylla Pall.
182. Gentiana maeulchanensis Franch.
183. Gentiana mairei H.Lév.
184. Gentiana makinoi Kusn.
185. Gentiana manshurica Kitag.
186. Gentiana × marcailhouana Rouy
187. Gentiana × marceli-jouseaui Halda
188. Gentiana × media Arv.-Touv.
189. Gentiana meiantha (C.B.Clarke) Harry Sm.
190. Gentiana melandriifolia Franch.
191. Gentiana membranulifera T.N.Ho
192. Gentiana micans C.B.Clarke
193. Gentiana micantiformis Burkill
194. Gentiana micrantha Aitch. ex Hemsl.
195. Gentiana microdonta Franch.
196. Gentiana microphyta Franch.
197. Gentiana mirandae Paray
198. Gentiana moniliformis C.Marquand
199. Gentiana muscicola C.Marquand
200. Gentiana myrioclada Franch.
201. Gentiana namlaensis C.Marquand
202. Gentiana nanobella C.Marquand
203. Gentiana nerterifolia P.Royen
204. Gentiana newberryi A.Gray
205. Gentiana nipponica Maxim.
206. Gentiana nivalis L.
207. Gentiana nubigena Edgew.
208. Gentiana nudicaulis Kurz
209. Gentiana nyalamensis T.N.Ho
210. Gentiana obconica T.N.Ho
211. Gentiana occidentalis Jakow.
212. Gentiana officinalis Harry Sm.
213. Gentiana olgae Regel & Schmalh.
214. Gentiana oligophylla Harry Sm.
215. Gentiana olivieri Griseb.
216. Gentiana oreocharis Halda & Jurášek
217. Gentiana oreodoxa Harry Sm.
218. Gentiana ornata (G.Don) Wall. ex Griseb.
219. Gentiana ovatiloba Kusn.
220. Gentiana pachyphylla Merr.
221. Gentiana × pallidocyanea J.S.Pringle
222. Gentiana pannonica Scop.
223. Gentiana panthaica Prain & Burkill
224. Gentiana papillosa Franch.
225. Gentiana paradoxa Albov
226. Gentiana parryae C.Marquand
227. Gentiana parryi Engelm.
228. Gentiana parvula Harry Sm.
229. Gentiana pedata Harry Sm.
230. Gentiana pedicellata (D.Don) Griseb.
231. Gentiana pennelliana Fernald
232. Gentiana perpusilla Brandegee
233. Gentiana phyllocalyx C.B.Clarke
234. Gentiana piasezkii Maxim.
235. Gentiana picta Franch.
236. Gentiana platypetala Griseb.
237. Gentiana plurisetosa C.T.Mason
238. Gentiana pneumonanthe L.
239. Gentiana praeclara C.Marquand
240. Gentiana praticola Franch.
241. Gentiana prattii Kusn.
242. Gentiana pringlei M.Shabir, P.Agnihotri, J.K.Tiwari & T.Husain
243. Gentiana producta T.N.Ho
244. Gentiana prolata Balf.f.
245. Gentiana prostrata Haenke
246. Gentiana pseudosquarrosa Harry Sm.
247. Gentiana puberulenta J.S.Pringle
248. Gentiana pubigera C.Marquand
249. Gentiana pulvinarum W.W.Sm.
250. Gentiana pumila Jacq.
251. Gentiana pumilio Standl. & Steyerm.
252. Gentiana punctata L.
253. Gentiana purpurea L.
254. Gentiana pyrenaica L.
255. Gentiana qiujiangensis T.N.Ho
256. Gentiana quadrifaria Blume
257. Gentiana querceticola Halda & Jurášek
258. Gentiana radiata C.Marquand
259. Gentiana radicans Harry Sm.
260. Gentiana ranae M.Shabir & M.D.Dwivedi
261. Gentiana recurvata C.B.Clarke
262. Gentiana riparia Kar. & Kir.
263. Gentiana robusta King ex Hook.f.
264. Gentiana rostanii Reut. ex Verlot
265. Gentiana rubicunda Franch.
266. Gentiana rubricaulis Schwein.
267. Gentiana sagarmathae Miyam. & H.Ohba
268. Gentiana saginifolia Wernham
269. Gentiana saginoides Burkill
270. Gentiana saltuum C.Marquand
271. Gentiana saponaria L.
272. Gentiana sasidharanii K.M.P.Kumar & Sunil
273. Gentiana satsunanensis T.Yamaz.
274. Gentiana scabra Bunge Plant FAQs: Gentiana Scabra – Rough Gentian
275. Gentiana scabrida Hayata
276. Gentiana sceptrum Griseb.
277. Gentiana scytophylla T.N.Ho
278. Gentiana sedifolia Kunth
279. Gentiana septemfida Pall.
280. Gentiana setigera A.Gray
281. Gentiana shaanxiensis T.N.Ho
282. Gentiana sierrae Briq.
283. Gentiana sikkimensis C.B.Clarke
284. Gentiana sikokiana Maxim.
285. Gentiana simulatrix C.Marquand
286. Gentiana sino-ornata Balf.f.
287. Gentiana siphonantha Maxim. ex Kusn.
288. Gentiana sirensis J.S.Pringle
289. Gentiana spathacea Kunth
290. Gentiana spathulifolia Kusn.
291. Gentiana spathulisepala T.N.Ho & S.W.Liu
292. Gentiana springateana D.Maity
293. Gentiana squarrosa Ledeb.
294. Gentiana stellata Turrill
295. Gentiana stellulata Harry Sm.
296. Gentiana stipitata Edgew.
297. Gentiana stragulata Balf.f. & Forrest
298. Gentiana straminea Maxim.
299. Gentiana suborbisepala C.Marquand
300. Gentiana subpolytrichoides Grubov
301. Gentiana subuliformis S.W.Liu
302. Gentiana sumatrana Ridl.
303. Gentiana susamyrensis Pachom.
304. Gentiana susanneae Adr.Favre
305. Gentiana sutchuenensis Franch.
306. Gentiana szechenyii Kanitz
307. Gentiana taiwanialbiflora S.S.Ying
308. Gentiana taiwanica T.N.Ho
309. Gentiana takushii T.Yamaz.
310. Gentiana taliensis Balf.f. & Forrest
311. Gentiana tarokoensis Chih H.Chen & J.C.Wang
312. Gentiana tatsienensis Franch.
313. Gentiana terglouensis Hacq.
314. Gentiana ternifolia Franch.
315. Gentiana tetraphylla Maxim. ex Kusn.
316. Gentiana tetrasepala Biswas
317. Gentiana tetrasticha C.Marquand
318. Gentiana thunbergii (G.Don) Griseb.
319. Gentiana tibetica King ex Hook.f.
320. Gentiana timida Kerr
321. Gentiana tongolensis Franch.
322. Gentiana tonkinensis Hul
323. Gentiana tornezyana Litard. & Maire
324. Gentiana trichotoma Kusn.
325. Gentiana tricolor Diels & Gilg
326. Gentiana triflora Pall.
327. Gentiana tubiflora (G.Don) Griseb.
328. Gentiana ulmeri Merr.
329. Gentiana uniflora Georgi
330. Gentiana urnula Harry Sm.
331. Gentiana utriculosa L.
332. Gentiana vandellioides Hemsl.
333. Gentiana vandewateri Wernham
334. Gentiana veitchiorum Hemsl.
335. Gentiana venusta (G.Don) Wall. ex Griseb.
336. Gentiana verna L.
337. Gentiana vernayi C.Marquand
338. Gentiana viatrix Harry Sm. ex C.Marquand
339. Gentiana villosa L.
340. Gentiana vodopjanovae (Zuev) Chepinoga
341. Gentiana waltonii Burkill
342. Gentiana walujewii Regel & Schmalh.
343. Gentiana wangchukii E.Aitken & D.G.Long
344. Gentiana wardii W.W.Sm.
345. Gentiana wasenensis C.Marquand
346. Gentiana wilsonii C.Marquand
347. Gentiana winchuanensis T.N.Ho
348. Gentiana wingecarribiensis L.G.Adams
349. Gentiana woodii J.S.Pringle
350. Gentiana xanthonannos Harry Sm.
351. Gentiana yakushimensis Makino
352. Gentiana yokusai Burkill
353. Gentiana yunnanensis Franch.
354. Gentiana zekuensis T.N.Ho & S.W.Liu
355. Gentiana zhenxiongensis L.H.Wu & Z.T.Wang
356. Gentiana zollingeri Fawc.

Beauty in the Face of Adversity

What truly draws me to Gentians is their ability to thrive in challenging environments. Many species are found in alpine regions, where they endure harsh winters, strong winds, and intense sunlight. Their resilience and ability to flourish in such conditions are remarkable.

The flowers themselves are a testament to this resilience. They are often a deep, intense blue, a color rarely seen in alpine environments. This vibrant hue serves to attract pollinators, ensuring the continuation of the species.

A Plant with a Rich History

Gentians have a long and rich history, dating back to ancient times. They were used medicinally by the Greeks and Romans, and their use in traditional medicine continues in many parts of the world today. The genus is named after Gentius, an Illyrian king who is said to have discovered the medicinal properties of the plant.

Beyond their medicinal uses, Gentians have also been valued for their aesthetic beauty. They have been cultivated in gardens for centuries, and their striking blue flowers continue to be a favorite among gardeners.

My Personal Connection

My fascination with Gentians began during a hiking trip in the Swiss Alps. I was struck by their vibrant blue flowers, which seemed to glow against the backdrop of the snow-capped mountains. I was also impressed by their resilience, their ability to thrive in such a harsh environment.

Since then, I have sought out Gentians wherever I travel. I have seen them blooming in meadows, woodlands, and even on rocky cliffs. Each encounter has deepened my appreciation for these remarkable plants.

Looking Ahead

The Gentiana genus continues to fascinate and intrigue me. I am eager to learn more about their biology, their ecology, and their cultural significance. I believe that these plants have much to teach us about resilience, adaptation, and the beauty of the natural world.

I hope that my passion for Gentians will inspire others to appreciate these remarkable plants. They are a testament to the diversity and resilience of life on Earth, and they deserve our admiration and protection.