Gentiana andrewsii

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Bottle gentian
GentianaAndrewsii.jpg
Closed bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii)
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Gentianaceae
Genus: Gentiana
Species:
G. andrewsii
Binomial name
Gentiana andrewsii
Varieties [3]
  • Gentiana andrewsii var. andrewsii
  • Gentiana andrewsii var. dakotica A.Nelson
Synonyms [3]
List
    • Dasystephana andrewsii (Griseb.) Small (1903)
    • Pneumonanthe andrewsii (Griseb.) W.A.Weber (1976)

Gentiana andrewsii, the bottle gentian, closed gentian, or closed bottle gentian, is an herbaceous species of flowering plant in the gentian family Gentianaceae. Gentiana andrewsii is native to northeastern North America, from the Dakotas to the East Coast and through eastern Canada.

Contents

It shares the common name "bottle gentian" with several other species.

Description

Gentiana andrewsii is a perennial herb [4] that blooms in late summer (August to October). [5] The flowers are 2 to 4 cm (34 to 1+12 in) long, typically a rich blue color and bottle shaped with fused petals (sympetalous) and closed mouths. [6] [7] The flowers are clustered at the top of the plant or in the axis of the top leaves. The stems are 30 to 60 cm (12 to 24 in) long, lax in habit, producing sprawling plants with upturned ends ending with clusters of bee pollinated flowers. The foliage is hairless with a glossy sheen to it.

Blooming in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Closed Bottle Gentian.jpg
Blooming in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Taxonomy

The plant was named in honor of Henry C. Andrews, an English botanical artist and engraver. [8]

Named infraspecies and hybrids include: [8] [3]

Ecology

Closed bottle gentian occurs in wet to dry-mesic prairies and prairie fens, primarily in loamy soils, but it can also be found in sandy areas, such as near Great Lakes shorelines. [8]

The closed flowers make entrance to feed on pollen or nectar difficult for many species of insects. Those strong enough to enter through the top of the flower include the digger bee species Anthophora terminalis and the bumblebee species Bombus fervidus , Bombus griseocollis , and Bombus impatiens . [8] The eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica) chews a narrow slit at the base of the flower and "steals" nectar without pollinating the plant, a behavior known as nectar robbing. The holes in the petals created by this species allow smaller insects to also access the nectar and pollen, including the honeybee (Apis mellifera), the green sweat bee species Augochlorella aurata and Augochlorella persimilis , and the eastern masked bee (Hylaeus affinis).

This gentian is considered a threatened species in the US states of New York and Maryland. [9]

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<i>Drymocallis arguta</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Phlox divaricata</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Geum triflorum</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Phlox pilosa</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Lobelia siphilitica</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Chamaecrista fasciculata</i> Species of plant

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<i>Frasera speciosa</i> Species of flowering plant in the gentian family

Frasera speciosa is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family (Gentianaceae) known by the common names elkweed, monument plant, and green gentian. When blooming it grows a tall stalk with numerous flowers that have purple dotted green petals. Each plant can flower just once before it dies.

<i>Gentiana linearis</i> Species of plant

Gentiana linearis, the narrowleaf gentian, is a 1–2 ft (30–61 cm) tall flowering plant in the Gentianaceae family. It is native to northeastern North America from Manitoba to Maine, and to the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee. Similar to the "bottle gentians" like Gentiana clausa and Gentiana andrewsii, it has paired, lanceolate leaves, usually on unbranched stalks, and blue or purple blooms which remain closed or nearly closed; the leaves are narrower however, as the specific name indicates.

<i>Gentiana saponaria</i> Species of plant

Gentiana saponaria, the soapwort gentian or harvestbells, is a 1–2 ft (30–61 cm) tall flowering plant in the Gentianaceae family.

<i>Dalea purpurea</i> Species of flowering plant in the pea family

Dalea purpurea is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known as purple prairie clover. Native to central North America, purple prairie clover is a relatively common member of the Great Plains and prairie ecosystems. It blooms in the summer with dense spikes of bright purple flowers that attract many species of insects.

References

  1. Kirchner, W., Gerrity, J., Filyaw, T., Preston, J. & Reinier, J. E. (2024). "Gentiana andrewsii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2024: e.T117001524A137703972. Retrieved 12 August 2024.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. NatureServe (2024). "Gentiana andrewsii". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 "Gentiana andrewsii Griseb". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  4. "Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin". www.wildflower.org. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
  5. "Gentiana andrewsii (closed bottle gentian): Plant Phenology". iNaturalist.org. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  6. "flowers-fusion – Ohio Plants" . Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  7. "Gentiana andrewsii (Andrew's bottle gentian): Go Botany". gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Wilhelm, Gerould; Rericha, Laura (2017). Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis. Indiana Academy of Sciences.
  9. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Gentiana andrewsii". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team.