Gentianella amarella, July 27, 2021
Common & scientific name
Autumn gentian, Gentianella amarella
Family
Gentian, Gentianaceae
Location
Lower Mt. Champion, 11,250’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
Autumn gentian’s flowers are a lovely shade of lavender. They grow in small clusters from the tip of the stem and from most of the leaf axils. They have five petals that flare widely to reveal a circle of long white hairs, and small fringes at the base of their lobes. Autumn gentian can be tall like this plant, or much smaller depending on elevation and conditions. While July 27 hardly counts as “autumn,” it is like all gentians (save green gentian) a sign of the waning summer season.
G. amarella, July 27, 2021