yellowish gentian

(Gentiana alba)

Conservation Status
yellowish gentian
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FAC - Facultative

     
  Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Yellowish gentian is a 2 to 3 tall, stout, hairless, erect to drooping perennial. It is rarely branched.

The leaves along the stem are opposite, yellowish-green or olive green, and are attached directly to the stem, without a leaf stalk. The three uppermost leaves, just below the inflorescence, are whorled.

The inflorescence is 2 to 7 flowers emerging from the axils of the uppermost three leaves.

The flowers are tubular-shaped with a small opening at the top and irregular folds between the petals.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

2 to 3

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Yellowish-white or greenish-white

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Great Lakes gentian (Gentiana rubricaulis) is the only other whitish gentian found in Minnesota. The flower is white with scattered blue spots.

Bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) has flowers that are whitish below, blue upwards. The leaves have a marginal fringe of hairs.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moist. Meadows, prairies, open woods.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

Late August to early October

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29, 30.

 
  4/10/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Uncommon

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants) / Angiospermae (flowering plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Asteranae  
 

Order

Gentianales (gentians, dogbanes, madders, and allies)  
 

Family

Gentianaceae (gentian)  
  Tribe Gentianeae (gentian)  
  Subtribe Gentianinae (gentian)  
 

Genus

Gentiana (gentians)  
  Section Pneumonanthe  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Gentiana flavida

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

closed gentian

cream gentian

pale gentian

plain gentian

white gentian

yellow gentian

yellowish gentian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Plant

 
    yellowish gentian   yellowish gentian  
           
    yellowish gentian      
           
 

Inflorescence

 
    yellowish gentian   yellowish gentian  
           
 

Infructescence

 
    yellowish gentian      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
  Gentiana flavida YELLOWISH GENTIAN
Frank Mayfield
 
  Gentiana flavida YELLOWISH GENTIAN  

 

slideshow

       
 
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Other Videos
 
     
     
     

 

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