Gentiana officinalis H. Smith

Gentiana gannanensis is said to be allied to G. macrophylla. The authors have not seen its type, but from the illustration it is apparently synonymous with G. officinalis.

Perennials 15-35 cm tall. Roots to 25 × 1.5 cm. Stems ascending, simple, glabrous. Basal leaves petiole 3.5-5 cm, membranous; leaf blade lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, 7-25 × 1.5-4 cm, base narrowed, margin scabrous, apex acuminate, veins 3-7. Stem leaves 3-5 pairs; petiole to 2 cm, membranous; leaf blade lanceolate, 3-6 × 0.5-2.2 cm, base obtuse, margin scabrous, apex acuminate, veins 1-3. Inflorescences crowded into terminal clusters, many flowered, rarely also in few-flowered axillary whorls. Flowers sessile. Calyx tube 4.5-7 mm, membranous, usually split on 1 side; lobes 5, triangular, 0.5-1 mm. Corolla pale yellow, tubular, (1.5-)1.8-2(-2.5) cm; lobes ovate, 3-3.5 mm, margin entire, apex obtuse; plicae triangular, 1-1.5 mm, oblique, margin entire, apex acute. Stamens inserted at basal part of corolla tube; filaments 5-8 mm; anthers narrowly ellipsoid, 2-2.5 mm. Style 2-2.5 mm; stigma lobes oblong. Capsules sessile, narrowly ellipsoid, 1.3-1.5 cm. Seeds light brown, ellipsoid, 1.4-1.6 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug-Sep.

S Gansu, SE Qinghai, S Shaanxi, N Sichuan

* River banks, edges of cultivated land, meadow slopes, scrub, alpine meadows; 2300-4200 m.

Gentiana gannanensis Y. Wang & Z. C. Lou; G. macrophylla Pallas var. albolutea H. Limpricht.