Home/Species/ Glaucous Gentian

Gentiana glauca

Pallas

Glaucous Gentian

G5Secure Found in 14 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.150328

Element CodePDGEN060E0

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderGentianales

FamilyGentianaceae

GenusGentiana

Other Common Names

Gentiane glauque (FR) Pale Gentian (EN) pale 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

Rank MethodExpertise without calculation

Review Date2016-09-01

Change Date2016-09-01

Range Extent Comments

AK south to WA and nw. MT. Peripheral.

Ecology & Habitat

Description

Glaucous Gentian is a glabrous, perennial herb. Its stems are 3-10 cm high and arise from rosettes that arise from creeping rhizomes. The fleshy rosette leaves are egg-shaped and 1-2 cm long, while stem leaves of fertile rosettes are opposite and smaller. 3-5 crowded, short-stalked flowers arise from the axils of the upper leaves, or bracts. The tubular, blue corollas are 1-2 cm long and have 5 erect lobes with unfringed plaits between the lobes on the insides. The 5-lobed calyx is ca. 4-7 mm long, and the 5 stamens are attached to the inside of the corolla tube. The fruit is a stalked, short, tubular, many-seeded capsule.

Diagnostic Characteristics

G. PROSTRATA has creeping stems but bears only one flower per stem. G. CALYCOSA has flowers greater than 2 cm long. GENTIANELLA PROPINQUA has a slender taproot.

Habitat

This species occurs in alpine meadows and tundra (Giblin, 2022).

Terrestrial Habitats

Grassland/herbaceousAlpineTundra

Other Nations (2)

United StatesN4

Province	Rank	Native
Montana	S2	Yes
Washington	S2	Yes
Alaska	S4	Yes

CanadaN5

Province	Rank	Native
Northwest Territories	S4	Yes
Alberta	S4	Yes
British Columbia	S5	Yes
Yukon Territory	S4	Yes

Plant Characteristics

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (14)

Alaska (13)

Area	Forest	Acres
Boston Bar	Chugach National Forest	53,617
Chugach-8	Chugach National Forest	21,559
Douglas Island	Tongass National Forest	28,065
Fidalgo-Gravina	Chugach National Forest	257,968
Johnson Pass	Chugach National Forest	152,508
Juneau-Skagway Icefield	Tongass National Forest	1,187,268
Kenai Lake	Chugach National Forest	213,172
Kenai Mountains	Chugach National Forest	306,600
Resurrection	Chugach National Forest	224,615
Rhine	Tongass National Forest	23,010
Roaded Donut	Chugach National Forest	968
Taku-Snettisham	Tongass National Forest	664,928
Twenty Mile	Chugach National Forest	198,775

Washington (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Mt. Baker West	Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest	25,390

References (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.
Giblin, D. 2022. <i>Gentiana glauca</i>. Burke Museum Herbarium, University of Washington. Accessed September 15, 2022. http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Gentiana%20glauca
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.