GENTIANA AMARELLA. AUTUMNAL GENTIAN.
G EN T IA N A Amarella; corolla quinquefida hypocrateriformi, fauce barbata, laciniis calicinis mquali-
bus, foliis ovato-lanceolatis.
G EN T IA N A Amarella. Linn. Sp. P L p. 334. Huds. Fl. Angl. p. 103. L ig h t f Scot. p. 152.
With. Bot. A rr. ed. 4. ml. 2.p . 9.76. Reih. Cant. p. 100. Sibth. O.v.p. 85. Roth
Germ. ml. 2. p. 289. Hoffm. Germ. p. 88. Frcelich Gent. p. 86. et p. 141. Dicks.
Hort. Sicc.5. Oeder Fl. Dan. t. 328. JVilld. Sp. PL ml. 1. p. 1347. Smith Fl.
B r it.p . 287. Engl. Bot. t. 236. Pers. Syn. P l. ml. 1. p. 286. A lt. Hort. Kew.
ed. 2. ml. 2. p. 113. Wahl. FL Lapp.p. 70. Zoega Fl. Isl. Pall. Fl. Ross. ml. 2.
p. 104. Lam. Diet. ml. 2. p. 643.
G EN T IA N A Germanica. Decand. Fl. Fr. ed. 3. ml. 3. p . 658. Decand. FL Gail.p. 254. Des-
longch. Fl. Gail. p . 152.
G EN T IA N A faucibus barbatis, calycis segmentis quinis mqualibus. Hall. Helv. n. 651.
G EN T IA N E L L® species quibusdam, an Cordo Pneumonanthe, aut Gentiana fugax altera Clusii.
Bauh. Hist* ml. 3. p. 526. ß . l.
G EN T IA N E L LA fugax autumnalis elatior, Centaurii minoris folio. Rail Syn. p. 275.
G EN T IA N E L LA fugax verna seu precox. Raii Syn.p. 9.75.
Dut. Herfst-gentiaan. Germ. D e r bittere Enzian. Herbstenzian. Kiilberschiss. Port. Gencianclla.
Russ. Goretschqfka ossenaja. Welsh. Erwyiillys chweno.
Glass a n d Order. T E T RA N D R IA MONOGYNIA.
[N atural Order. G E N T IA N EN , Decandolle, B r . GENTIAN.®, Juss. ROTACE®, Zinn.] •*
Gen. Char. Cal. quadri- vel quinque-fidus. Cor. infundibuliformis seu hypocrateriformis, quadri- vel quinque-
fida. Caps, supera, unilocularis, bivalvis, polysperma.
Radix parva, fibrosa, flavescens, tortuosa, annua.
Ca u n s erectus, altitudine mire varians, nunc uncialis,
Jig. 1. nunc palmaris vel etiam pedalis, erectus,
strictus, quadrangulatus, viridi-rufescens; supra
subpaniculatim ramosus, ramis semper oppositis,
florjferis.
Folia ovato-lanceolata, acuminata, integerrima, triner-
via; inferiora basi in petiolo attenuata, superiora
sessilia.
P edunculi in foliorum axillis, terminalesque, erecti,
simplices, unifiori.
Calyx longitudinaliter decem-notatus, quinquefidus,
laciniis eequalibus, angustis, acuminatis.
Corolla violacea, calyce duplo longior, hypocrateri-
formis,' tubo cylindraceo, limbo patente, quin-
. que-partito; faux squamis quinque-ovatis, cilia-
tis clausa, ciliis longis, erectis, albidis.
Stamina quinque, corollas tubo asqualia; Filamenta
flavescentia. Anthene purpureo-virides, oblongas,
' biloba?, biloculareS. ß g . 4, 5. . Pollen sphas-
ricum, tuberculis tribus minutis notatum, ß g . 6.
Ovarium staminibus paulo longius, subcylindraceum,
attenuatum; Stigma bilobum, fiavum.
Pericarpiüm : Capsula oblongo-cylindracea, utrinque
subattenuata, stigmate bilobu persistente termi-
nata, unilocularis, bivalvis.
Receptaculum marginale.
Semina valvarum marginibus introflexis, ß g . 9■ affixa,
parva, subrotunda, ß g . 8. 10.
Root small, fibrous, yellowish, tortuose, annual.
Stem erect, varying much in height, sometimes an inch,
Jig. 1. sometimes a span, or even a foot in
height, erect, straight, quadrangular, greenish
red; above branched in a somewhat panicled
manner, with the branches always opposite,
bearing flowers.
Leaves ovato-lanceolate, acuminate, entire, three-nerved
; the lower ones lengthened into a petiole at
their base, the superior ones sessile.
Peduncles in the axilla? of the leaves, and likewise
terminal, simple, one-flowered.
Calyx longitudinally marked with ten lines, quinquefid,
having the lacinias equal, narrow and acuminate.
Corolla violet-blue, twice the length of the calyx, salver
shaped, with the tube cylindrical, the limb
patent, quinque-partite; the orifice with five ciliated
scales, the cilia long, erect, whitish.
Stamens five, equal with the tube of the corolla: Filaments
yellowish; Anthers purplish-green, oblong,
two-lobed, two-celled, Jig. 4, 5 .; Pollen
spjiffirical, beset with three minute tubercles,
Ovary a little longer than the stamens, subcylindrical,
attenuate; Stigma two-lobed, yellow.
Pericarp : an oblong approaching to cylindrical Capsule,
attenuate at each extremity, terminated by
the two-lobed persistent stigma, one-celled, two-
valved.
Receptacle marginal.
Seeds affixed to the inflexed margins of the valves, Jig. 9.
small, roundish, Jig. 8. 10.
J?ig. 1. Small var. of G. Amarella, nat. size. Fig. 2. Calyx, with the protruded Style. Fig. 3. Corolla laid
open to show the stamens and the five fimbriated scales. Fig. 4. Anther. Fig. 5. The same burst open,
having discharged its pollen. Fig. 6. Grains of Pollen. Fig. 7. Capsule, nat. size. Fig. 8. Seeds, do!
Fig. 9. Capsule bursting open in two valves, and showing the seeds affixed to the margins of those valves!
Fig. 10. Seeds—all except Fig. 1. 7. and 8. more or less magnified.
This, though not of very common occurrence, is still the most frequent of all the British species of the beautiful
genus Gentiana, and is met with in meadows and pasture land, especially in a chalky soil, or where lime-stone
abounds; and may readily be distinguished from its nearest affinity G. campestris by the quinquefid flowers and
equally sized segments of the calyx.— A variety with proliferous flowers is found by Mr. Relhan near Cambridge;
and the small kind here figured is not rare on the wolds of Yorkshire.
The lai-ger specimen here figured was communicated by Edward Barnard, Esq. whose exertions in pursuit of this
favourite science have contributed much to forward this work. Thé small variety was collected by Mr. Graves
near Ramsgate, where it is abundant, as it is also on many of the chalky hills of Kent. I t blooms .in July and
August, and ripens its seed in the following month.
Unable myself to clear up the doubts respecting the synonyms of Ray, I follow Sir James Smith in the references
to that author ; and shall merely observe, that his third species, “ Gentianeïla fugax verna seu prmcox,” is
probably merely the dwarf variety of G. Amarella, figured in the annexed plate.
Most writers agree in attributing to this species the same properties which the other Gentians possess, although
no experiments appear yet to have been made with it. Nor indeed does it seem probable there should be, while
the much larger Gentiana lutea and purpurea are to be procured in such abundance from the Alps.
Frcelich in the excellent Dissertation on the Gentiana above referred to, mentions having, received the Fasciculus
of Dickson’s Hortus Siccus containing specimens of G. Amarella, and notices some variations from the specimens
he described, principally relating to size; and altogether so trifling, that they do not seem to me to merit
being transcribed, although the author himself adds, “ Ha?c distincta ab Amarella nostra species esse videtur.”
Willdenow, upon the strength of this, makes of these two species, giving to the G. Amarella of Froelich, Villars,
Pollich, Roth, and Hoffmann, the name of G. Germanica, and retaining the old name to that of Dickson and
Smith. The former he thus defines:
“ G. Germanica; corollis quinquefidis hypocrateriformi bus barbatis, laciniis limbi ovatis acutis, foliis ovato-Ian-
ceolatis, ramis internodiis longioribus.”
And to the latter he gives thé following character:
“ G. Amarella', corollis hypocraterifonnibus barbatis, laciniis limbi lanceolatis, ramis internodiis brevioribus.”
And he adds, “ a precedente toto habitu, ramis brevibus, corollis angustioribus majoribus, foliis lanceolatis et
radice flava distincta.”
Persoon has reduced the G. Germanica of Willd. to the G. Amarella of Smith, and has given the name of
Crucifolia to the Amarella of Willd.
I have myself gathered in Switzerland what the botanists of that country call G. Germanica ; and I cannot
find the slightest difference between it and the plant here figured, which likewise accords admirably with the
Q. Amarella described by Frcelich.v