Gentiana saponaria explained

Gentiana saponaria, the soapwort gentian or harvestbells, is a 1- tall flowering plant in the Gentianaceae family.

Description

Similar to the "bottle" gentians like Gentiana clausa and Gentiana andrewsii, it has paired, lanceolate leaves on unbranched stalks, blue or purple blooms, and a stout taproot. The flowers are pollinated by bumblebees.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Distribution and habitat

It is native to eastern North America south of the Great Lakes, from Wisconsin to New York, and south to Texas and Florida.^[4] It is rare in its range, usually found in undisturbed sandy soils.

Notes and References

1. http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/soap_gentianx.htm Illinois Wildflowers listing for Soapwort Gentian
2. http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=GESA Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center listing
3. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=29986 ITIS standard report page
4. Web site: BONAP distribution map of North American Gentiana species . 2011-09-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120324035012/http://www.bonap.org/BONAPmaps2010/Gentiana.html . 2012-03-24 . dead .