Gentiana platypetala Griseb.
broad-petalled gentian (broadpetal gentian)
Gentianaceae (Gentian family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Jim Dickson     (Photo ID #3503)

Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Gentiana platypetala
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a short rhizome; stems erect to ascending, 1 to several, simple, glabrous, 10-35 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves few, reduced; stem leaves opposite, slightly joined at the base, egg-shaped to lanceolate, 1.5-3.2 cm long, 0.8-1.7 cm wide, becoming larger upwards.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a solitary, unstalked flower; corollas bright blue, speckled with green inside, tubular to funnel-shaped, 2.7-4 cm long, lobes 5, kidney-shaped; calyces 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the corollas, the lobes fused to form 2 lips, 1 lip with 2 teeth, the other lip with 3 teeth; stamens shorter than the corolla tubes; anthers 4.5 mm long.
Fruits:
Capsules 1-chambered, elliptic-oblong; seeds contorted, light brown, bearing thin plates of tissue, 1 mm long.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Gentiana platypetala

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
 Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max
Elevation (metres)
 695 0 990
Slope Gradient (%)
 34 0 90

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

 266 0 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric] 		3 0 7
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
 B
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
 36
Modal BEC Zone Class
 MH

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

 AT(3), CMA(8), CWH(5), MH(20)

Habitat and Range

Moist to mesic meadows and talus slopes in the subalpine and alpine zones; frequent on the Queen Charlotte Islands; rare on N Vancouver Island and the north coastal mainland of BC; N to SE AK.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

© 2019 E-Flora BC  Contact us