| Gentianaceae |
|---|
Gentiana septemfida PALLAS |
Gentiana L. |
| G. septemfida Pallas, Fl. Ross. 2:101, t. 92 f. 3 (1788). Syn: G. cordifolia C.Koch in Linnaea 23:585 (1850); G. fimbriaeplica C.Koch, op. cit. 584 (1850); G.freyniana Bornm. ex Freyn in Öst. Bot. Zeitschr. 42:345 (1892)! Ic: Bot. Mag. 28: t. 1229 (1808); The Garden 87:16 (1923), as G.freyniana. Map 19, p. 191. Prostrate or ascending herbs; stems numerous, 5-30 cm, of 10-16 internodes, simple and with 1-5 flowers in axils of upper leaves forming a ± terminal head. Leaves very variable; scale-like below, then ± ovate, gradually narrowing to lanceolate or linear above; sometimes broader throughout, with cordate bases; leaf bases in all but uppermost united to form a sheath; median to 40 x 25 mm. Flowers 5-6(-7)-merous. Calyx 12-24 mm, less than 1/2 x corolla, divided to c. 1/2 way; lobes variable, ± lanceolate, acute, to 3 mm broad. Corolla dark blue to blue-purple, (25-)30-40 mm, divided to c. 1/6 lobes triangular, acute or subacute; subsidiary lobes 1/3 to 1/2 as long, fimbriate. Capsule shortly stipitate. Fl. 7-8. Alpine meadows, flushes and open Abies forest, 1800-3200 m. Described from Crimea, Caucasus & Iran: 'alpibus Persiae M. caspio vicinis, monte Tschatirdag, Chersonesi taurici'. Mainly N. & E. Anatolia. A4 Ankara: Kizilcahamam, lşik Da., Khan et al. 733! A5 Kastamonu: İlgaz Da., 2000 m, D. 38326! A6 Amasya: Ak Da., above Tafra (Tavra), 1800 m, Bornm. 1889: 1238 (isotype of G.freyniana)1. A8 Trabzon: Soğanli pass, 2440 m, Archibald 3281 ! A9 Çoruh: d. Ardanuç, Kutul Y., 2200 m, 5 viii 1976, Steiner! B7 Erzincan: Sipikör Da., Sint. 1890:3173! B8 Erzurum: Palandöken Da. 29 km from Çat to Erzurum, 2300 m, D. 47404! B9 Van: Kavuş-şahap Da., 3200 m, D. 23096! B10 Kars: Büyük Ağri Da., 2850 m, 11 viii 1910, B.Postl C6 Maraş: Berit Da., 2135 m, 9 viii 1865, Haıısskn. (type of G. calycinaY. Caucasia, N. lran. Hyrcano-Euxine (mt.) element. A very variable species. Differences which have been used to distinguish segregate species include leaf shape (ovate-lanceolate in G. septemfida, ovate-cordate in G. cordifolia); leaf nerves (5 in G. septemfida, G. cordifolia, 3 in G. freyniana); and shape of subsidiary corolla lobes (fringed in G. septemfida, triangular in G.freyniana). All these characters intergrade, although the described 'species' exhibit ± distinct combinations of them. Very few specimens have been seen of the segregates, all of which are of very limited distribution. It seems realistic to regard them as local variants of the widespread G. septemfida. The status of G. calycina Boiss. (Fl. Or. 4:75, 1875) from C6 Maraş: Berit Da., Haıısskn. remains in some doubt. It was distinguished by Boissier from G. septemfida by its obtuse, linear-elliptic calyx lobes longer than the membranous tube, and from G. boissieri in having much longer, often unequal calyx lobes. |