North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Gentiana autumnalis

Gentiana autumnalis L.

pine barren gentian, pinebarren gentian

Synonym(s): Dasystephana porphyrio, Gentiana porphyrio

Gentiana autumnalis (Pine Barren Gentian)

Image ID: 19340
Image by: Stuart, Will
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: GEAU4
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Gentiana autumnalis
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2017-12-11

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: GENTI
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Gentiana
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Gentian
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 350-400 species, herbs, primarily temperate and arctic. Even following the removal of Gentianopsis and Gentianella (to separate genera and a different subtribe), Gentiana is a large and apparently heterogeneous group, perhaps not monophyletic. No satisfactory comprehensive treatment is available, however. All of the species treated here as Gentiana are in the distinctive group often treated as section, subgenus, or genus Pneumonanthe.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification Notes: In some species it may be somewhat difficult to interpret the corolla lobes and the corolla appendages. The filaments are alternate to the corolla lobes, and are therefore attached to the lower portion of the corolla appendages.
GENUS REFERENCES: Pringle (1967)=Z; Halda (1996)=Y; Ho & Liu (2001)=X; Pringle & Weakley (2009)=Q; Ho & Liu (1990); Yuan, K�pfer, & Doyle (1996); Pringle (1977). Key adapted from Z.

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: GENTIA
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Gentianaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Gentian Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 87 genera and about 1650 species, herbs, shrubs, and trees, cosmopolitan (Struwe & Albert 2002).
FAMILY REFERENCE: Ho & Liu (1999); Wood & Weaver (1982); Struwe & Albert (2002). [also see MENYANTHACEAE]

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect perennial of longleaf pine savannas, pine flatwoods, sandhills, and pine barrens in a variety of sites varying from moist to very dry; in se. VA, NC, and SC nearly always associated with Pinus palustris and/or Aristida stricta.
STEMS: Stem smooth, rarely branched.
LEAVES: Leaves opposite, few, linear to narrowly oblong-lance-shaped, 2-3 in. long and curved parallel to ground..
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Flowers solitary (rarely 2-3) and terminal, deep blue and spotted-streaked with bronze-green inside, to 2 in. long, funnel-shaped, with the corolla tube divided into 4-5 spreading lobes with pleats in between.
FRUITS: Fruit an ellipsoid capsule.
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 6-24 in.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Opposite
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Radial (Actinomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: late Sep-mid Jan

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
x							x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: Blue

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
						x		x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Pine savannas, Sandhills
NATIVE RANGE: southeastern United States

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Pine-barren gentian is endemic to the pine barrens of New Jersey and Delaware and the coastal plain of the Carolinas. Once thought to be of limited occurrence, increased use of prescribed fire in longleaf pine ecosystem management has revealed this species local abundance. Pine-barren gentian’s bright blue flower petals open outward to expose the sexual organs of the flower unlike the bottle-type gentians. Except for its relatively large flower, one might not notice the pine-barren gentian in passing.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Average, Moist/Wet, Well-drained
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 7
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 8
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
48	HORT			View
339	HORT	2010-12-21	Poythress	View
1447	HORT	2006-12-21	Wilbur-Brooks	View
1872	HORT		Walker	View
2721	NPMD	2022-12-13	Marzolf	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
46	2014-0002	2014-02-04	48	View
335	2011-0203	2011-10-12	339	View
2178	1986-1990			View
2468	1986-2312			View
9554	2023-0001	2023-02-16	2765	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
60	46	58	Liloia	2013-02-03	View
61	46	54	Liloia	2013-02-03	View
803	335	41	Poythress	2011-10-04	View
804	335	44	Poythress	2011-10-04	View
805	335	37	Poythress	2011-10-04	View
806	335	36	Poythress	2011-10-04	View
807	335	39	Poythress	2011-10-04	View
808	335	6	Liloia	2013-12-01	View
809	335	64	Liloia	2013-12-01	View
3756	2178	54	NCBG staff	1986-12-23	View
3757	2178	55	NCBG staff	1986-12-23	View
4188	2468	27	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
13438	9554	52	Liloia	2023-01-11	View
13439	9554	54	Liloia	2023-01-11	View
13440	9554	57	Liloia	2023-01-11	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: GEAU4
USDA Common Name: Pine Barren Gentian
Native Status: L48 (N)
Distribution: USA (DE, GA, MD, NC, NJ, SC, VA)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACW				FACW

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Gentiana autumnalis
COMMON NAME: Pinebarren Gentian
SYNONYMY: [= C, F, GW, K1, K3, RAB, Va, X, Z; = Gentiana porphyrio J.F. Gmelin - G; = Dasystephana porphyrio (J.F. Gmelin) Small - S; = Gentiana autumnalis ssp. autumnalis - Y; = Pneumonanthe porphyrio (Linnaeus) Greene]
PHENOLOGY:
HABITAT: Longleaf pine savannas, pine flatwoods, sandhills, pine barrens, in a variety of sites varying from moist to very xeric, in se. VA, NC, and SC nearly always associated with Pinus palustris and/or Aristida stricta.
COMMENTS: Late Sep-mid Jan (rarely at other times of the year, such as spring, in response to fire). This species is a bimodal endemic, occurring in s. NJ and adjacent DE (at least formerly), and from se. VA south through e. NC to nc. SC. The related G. pennelliana Fernald (sometimes reduced to a subspecies of G. autumnalis) is endemic to the FL Panhandle; other siblings, G. bicuspidata (G. Don) Briquet, G. hooperi Pringle, and G. longicollis G.L. Nesom, occur in Mexico. G. autumnalis is often overlooked, since it is very inconspicuous except when in flower, it usually flowers at a season when few botanists are about, and sterile plants greatly outnumber fertile ones. Vegetatively it is extremely distinctive once learned; the leaves are glossy, dark-green, opposite, oblanceolate to oblinear, and twisted and curved in a manner reminiscent of an airplane propellor.
RANGE MAP: Gentiana autumnalis.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Gentianaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Gentian Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 87 genera and about 1650 species, herbs, shrubs, and trees, cosmopolitan (Struwe & Albert 2002).
REFERENCE: Ho & Liu (1999); Wood & Weaver (1982); Struwe & Albert (2002). [also see MENYANTHACEAE]

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Gentiana L. (Gentian)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 350-400 species, herbs, primarily temperate and arctic. Even following the removal of Gentianopsis and Gentianella (to separate genera and a different subtribe), Gentiana is a large and apparently heterogeneous group, perhaps not monophyletic. No satisfactory comprehensive treatment is available, however. All of the species treated here as Gentiana are in the distinctive group often treated as section, subgenus, or genus Pneumonanthe.
REFERENCE: Pringle (1967)=Z; Halda (1996)=Y; Ho & Liu (2001)=X; Pringle & Weakley (2009)=Q; Ho & Liu (1990); Yuan, K�pfer, & Doyle (1996); Pringle (1977). Key adapted from Z.

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Gentiana autumnalis in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Gentiana autumnalis in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Gentiana autumnalis in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Gentiana autumnalis in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Gentiana autumnalis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Gentiana autumnalis

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 19340 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 19340 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 19340 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)