Keep An Eye Out For Gentian

My mid-August hike through the meadows and conifers of Castle Valley in the Sierra Nevada Mts. was typical. I chased butterflies like a carefree child, peered through binoculars at birds like a peeping tom, and stopped to inspect every new wildflower I saw. Fritillaries nectared in the asters, Mountain chickadees and Hermit warblers taunted me from the treetops, and the wildflowers - primarily lupines, paintbrush and monkeyflowers - flourished along creek beds. It wasn’t until I was walking through the squishy meadow, my boots making embarrassing sucking noises in the goo, that I saw them. Gentians, their small blossoms scattered among the taller grass like velvety blue stars in a Van Gogh sky.

I let out a yelp of joy.

I’ve happened upon Gentian only once before, in the autumn of 1999, near my home in central Ohio. Between those that are becoming rare, such as Fringed Gentian (Gentiana crinita), and those that are so easily hidden, like the Hiker’s Gentian (Gentianopsis simplex) I might have easily trampled underfoot, perhaps it’s no wonder I’ve seen them only twice. Or maybe I’m just not a particularly attentive nature lover.

There are about 70 genera and more than 1,000 species in the Gentian Family (Gentianaceae). They grow in a variety of habitats in alpine, temperate and subtropical regions. Gentians are leafy herbs with showy bell- or trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom in a cluster. The flowers are radially symmetrical with 4 to 12 petals with an equal number of stamens joined to them. Leaves are opposite or grow in whorls. The flowers are typically luxurious shades of blue and purple.

Ancient Roman naturalist Pliny claimed gentians were named for Gentius, King of Illyria (circa 180 B.C.), who was the first to discover its medicinal virtues. According to old herbals, European gentians were used in the treatment of a variety of ailments including ulcers, worms and kidney stones. Nicholas Culpepper said, “A more sure remedy cannot be found to prevent the pestilence than it is. It strengthens the stomach...comforts the heart, and preserves it against...swoonings”.

Some Native Americans brewed a tea from the roots of Fringed Gentian to purify the blood and strengthen the stomach. Appalachian hill folk made a similar tonic from Marsh Gentian (Gentiana villosa).

In modern times Yellow Gentian (Gentiana lutea), a native of Eurasia, has been used to stimulate appetite and to treat a variety of stomach ailments. A European concoction known as gentian bitters is currently sold in the U.S. as an after-dinner drink to aid digestion. The roots of a variety of gentians have also been used to flavor beverages.

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