''Gentianella campestris'', common name field gentian, is a small

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

biennial Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years. In particular, it can refer to: * Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and t ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the

Gentianaceae Gentianaceae is a family of flowering plants of 105 genera and about 1600 species. Etymology The family takes its name from the genus ''Gentiana'', named after the Illyrian king Gentius. Distribution Distribution is cosmopolitan (species), cosm ...

(gentian family) native to Europe. Its bluish-purple flowers contain four petals.

Description

''Gentianella campestris'' is a

biennial plant A biennial plant is a flowering plant that, generally in a temperate climate, takes two years to complete its biological life cycle. Background In its first year, the biennial plant undergoes primary growth, during which its vegetative structur ...

of small size, reaching on average in height.Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia – Edagricole – 1982. Vol. II, pag. 343 It has erect stems, simple or branched at the base and the leaves are opposite, ovate-lanceolate and unstalked. The flowers are in size. Their color is usually bluish-purple, but may be white, pink or lilac, with petals and sepals fused (gamopetalous and gamosepalous). There are four petals, ciliate at the base. There are also four sepals, which differ in size (two are wide and two narrow). The flowering period extends from June to October. The fruit is a capsule.

Distribution

Field gentian is widespread in northern, central and southern Europe and its distribution range includes the European Alps and the Jura.

Gallery

File:Gentiana campestris DSCF1314.JPG, Close-up of flowers File:Gentianaceae - Gentianella campestris-2.JPG, Leaves

Habitat

This plant prefers moderately moist to rather dry substrates and neutral or acid soils of alpine meadows, lawns, pastures, forest clearings and roadsides, at an altitude of above sea level. On the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

the species flourishes at sea level on the Ayres National Nature Reserve.

Subspecies

* ''Gentianella campestris'' subsp. ''baltica'' (Murb.) Á. Löve & D. Löve * ''Gentianella campestris'' subsp. ''campestris'' * ''Gentianella campestris'' subsp. ''suecica'' (Froel.) Tzvelev Biolib
/ref>

References

External links

G. campestris
campestris Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Gentianales-stub