Rank Species | Genus Gentiana Higher classification Gentian | |
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Similar Gentian, Gentiana catesbaei, Gentiana sceptrum, Gentiana glauca, Gentiana parryi | ||
Gentiana newberryi is a species of gentian known by the common names alpine gentian and Newberry's gentian.
Contents
Distribution
The plant is native to the high Sierra Nevada, Klamath, and Cascade mountain ranges of California and Oregon, and easternmost Nevada.
Description
Gentiana newberryi is a small perennial herb growing short stems which lie against the ground or snake through the grass.
The curving leaves are lance-shaped to spoon-shaped. The foliage is green and may have purple coloration along the edges and tips.
Flowers are solitary or come in inflorescences of up to five. Each flower is trumpet-shaped and up to 5 or 6 centimeters long, and 3 centimeters wide at the mouth. The lobes of the flower corolla have rounded to slightly pointed tips. Between each of the five lobes is a sinus appendage which comes to a very sharp point and twists into a thread. The outer surface of the mainly white flower is sharply striped with light to dark purple. The inner surface may be lightly striped with greenish or yellowish coloration, and freckled with a similar color.
The fruit is a capsule containing winged seeds.