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Gentianella tortuosa

(M.E. Jones) J. Gillett

Utah Gentian

G3Vulnerable Found in 6 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.128207
Element CodePDGEN07080
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderGentianales
FamilyGentianaceae
GenusGentianella
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
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-02-14
Change Date2025-02-14
Edition Date2025-02-14
Edition AuthorsFayette, Kim (1998), rev. Lyon, P. (2008), rev. C. Nordman (2025).
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Gentianella tortuosa occurs in the western United States, in the Roan Plateau (Green River Formation) of northwestern Colorado, the Utah Plateaus of central and southwestern Utah, and in the Spring Mountains of southern Nevada. It is estimated that there are between 21 and 80 occurrences rangewide, including in Colorado within the BLM South Cathedral Bluffs ACEC, in Utah in Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, and on Ashley, Dixie and Manti-La Sal National Forests, and in Nevada within the Mount Charleston Wilderness on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Its habitat is threatened by oil and gas development in western Colorado and northeastern Utah on the Green River Formation. Recreation impacts may threaten some locations, which are on fragile rocky slopes. Occurrences close to roads and could suffer impacts from road maintenance. This species is also considered vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Range Extent Comments
Gentianella tortuosa occurs in the western United States, in the Roan Plateau (Green River Formation) of northwestern Colorado, the Utah Plateaus of central and southwestern Utah, and in the Spring Mountains of southern Nevada. Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1994 and 2025 (Cronquist et al. 1984, FNA 2023, GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2024, Welsh et al. 2015).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are between 21 and 80 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Gentianella tortuosa habitat is threatened by oil and gas development in western Colorado and northeastern Utah on the Green River Formation. Recreation impacts may threaten some locations, which are on fragile rocky slopes. Occurrences close to roads and could suffer impacts from road maintenance. This species is also considered vulnerable to the effects of climate change (Decker et al. 2015).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Clump-forming annual to 10 cm tall. Stems much branched and spreading to erect. Basal leaves elliptic to spatulate 5 to 20 mm long and 2 to 5 mm wide. Cauline leaves elliptic, oblong, or lanceolate; to 35 mm long. Funnel-form to campanulate flowers are solitary in the leaf axils or on short axillary branches. Corolla yellowish white or blue 7 to 16 mm long; the corolla lobes as long as the tube and with a single row of hairs forming a fringe inside. Capsules contain 6 or fewer seeds. Flowers nearly buried in the leaves (Welsh et al. 2003).

Diagnostic Characteristics

"The plants of Gentianella tortuosa, having several stems or branches from the base, are almost spherical above ground, with the closely spaced larger leaves usually ascending well above the flowers, suggesting that it may sometimes be dispersed as a tumbleweed. The long, slender taproot, often twice as long as the height of the aerial portion of the plant, is also unique among the Gentianella species in the flora area. The epithet tortuosa refers to the distal branches and pedicels, which are often conspicuously curved in various directions. The calyx lobes are also often curved. Uniquely among the species of Gentianella in the flora area, this species produces six or fewer seeds per capsule, in contrast to the large numbers produced by most species in the genus" (J. M. Gillett 1957 cited in FNA 2023).

Habitat

Gentianella tortuosa occurs in sagebrush, grass-forb, open ponderosa pine, limber and bristlecone pine, aspen woods, and spruce-fir communities, on rocky, calcareous soils (including clays or sand), often on talus slopes, shale outcrops of the Green River Formation or on Tertiary limestone formations, at elevations of 2000–3400 meters (SEINet 2025, FNA 2023, Welsh et al. 2015).

Reproduction

Flowering in the late summer (FNA 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralBare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
UtahS2Yes
NevadaS1Yes
ColoradoS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
3 - Energy production & miningRestricted (11-30%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
3.1 - Oil & gas drillingRestricted (11-30%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceSmall (1-10%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesSmall (1-10%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
11.3 - Temperature extremesLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL, SUMMER-FLOWERING
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (6)
Nevada (1)
AreaForestAcres
Charleston - CarpenterHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest17,828
Utah (5)
AreaForestAcres
418009Uinta National Forest18,064
418017Uinta National Forest19,631
FishhookDixie National Forest12,959
HancockDixie National Forest9,809
Table Cliffs - Henderson CanyonDixie National Forest19,581
References (15)
  1. Cronquist, A., A.H. Holmgren, N.H. Holmgren, J.L. Reveal, and P.K. Holmgren. 1984. Intermountain Flora: Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. Vol. 4, Subclass Asteridae (except Asteraceae). New York Botanical Garden, Bronx. 573 pp.
  2. Decker, K., L. Grunau, J. Handwerk, and J. Siemers, editors. 2015. Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for Colorado Bureau of Land Management. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
  3. 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.
  4. Gillett, J. M. 1957. A revision of the North American species of <i>Gentianella </i>Moench. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 44(3):195-269.
  5. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  6. Goodrich, S., and E. Neese. 1986. Uinta Basin flora. U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Ogden, Utah. 320 pp.
  7. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  8. 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.
  9. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  10. NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2024. Version: 1.1.1 (released Oct 01, 2024).
  11. Peterson, J.S. and W.L. Baker. 1983. Inventory of the Piceance Basin, Colorado: Threatened and endangered plants, plant associations, and the general flora. Journal of the Colorado-Wyoming Academy of Science 15(1):42-43 (Abstract).
  12. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  13. Weber, W.A., and R.C. Wittmann. 1996a. Colorado flora: Eastern slope. Revised edition. Univ. Press of Colorado, Niwot, Colorado. 524 pp.
  14. Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich and L.C. Higgins. (Eds.) 2003. A Utah Flora. 3rd edition. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, U.S.A. 912 pp.
  15. Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L.C. Higgins. (Eds). 2015. A Utah flora, fifth edition, revised 2015. Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Provo, Utah. 987 pp.