Home/Species/ Appalachian Gentian

Gentiana austromontana

Pringle & Sharp

Appalachian Gentian

G3Vulnerable Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G3VulnerableGlobal Rank

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.154381

Element CodePDGEN06060

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderGentianales

FamilyGentianaceae

GenusGentiana

Other Common Names

Appalachian gentian (EN)

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Conservation Status

Review Date1998-03-26

Change Date1994-04-26

Edition Date1998-03-26

Edition AuthorsD. Gries

Rank Reasons

A Southern Appalachian endemic, Gentiana austromontana is rare and known from eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, southern West Virginia, and southwestern Virginia. It is known from three occurrences in West Virginia and at least six occurrences in Tennessee, although this data is from the early 1980s. It occurs on Roan Mountain in Roan Mountain State Park and in Cherokee National Forest. Trampling and timbering are threats to this taxon.

Range Extent Comments

A Southern Appalachian endemic, ranging from southern West Virginia (three counties) and southwestern Virginia south to western North Carolina and four adjacent Blue Ridge counties in eastern Tennessee (Weakley, 1996).

Occurrences Comments

Rare in North Carolina and Virginia (Weakley, 1996). Three occurrences in West Virginia (West Virginia Element Ranking Form, Dobberpuhl, 82-04-07). Probably 6 or more occurrences in Tennessee (Tennessee Element Ranking Form, Edwin Bridges, 84-02-07).

Threat Impact Comments

Gentiana austromontana has a limited distribution, making it especially vulnerable to land-use conversion and habitat fragmentation (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002). Threatened by trampling and timbering (Tennessee Element Ranking Form, Edwin Bridges, 84-02-07).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

High elevation forests and grassy balds (Weakley, 1996).

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN3

Province	Rank	Native
North Carolina	S2	Yes
Tennessee	S3	Yes
Virginia	S3	Yes
West Virginia	S1	Yes

Plant Characteristics

DurationPERENNIAL

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (5)

North Carolina (4)

Area	Forest	Acres
Bearwallow	Pisgah National Forest	4,113
Harper Creek	Pisgah National Forest	7,325
Lost Cove	Pisgah National Forest	5,944
Wilson Creek	Pisgah National Forest	4,863

Virginia (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Little Dry Run Addition	Jefferson National Forest	2,204

References (4)

Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2023. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 14. Magnoliophyta: Gentianaceae to Hydroleaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 505 pp.
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
Weakley, A.S. 1996. Flora of the Carolinas and Virginia: working draft of 23 May 1996. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Southern Conservation Science Dept., Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Unpaginated.