Gentiana calycosa |
Mountain bog
gentian,
“
[...] has clustered, unbranched
stems up to 1 foot (30cm) high. The
plants are hairless and more or less shiny.
Leaves: Opposite, crowded on the stem, ovate, without
petioles, up to 1 inch (2.5cm) long).
Flowers: Showy, 1 inch (2.5cm) long or more, borne singly or few at the
stem tip; petals dark blue, fused into a broad five-lobed tube with fringed
plaits between the lobes.” [5]
Range:
Climate, elevation:
Alpine elevations in
climates with moderate to deep snow pack, late snow melts, and warm summers
Local occurrence:
Common locally in the
Cascades and Olympics
Habitat preferences:
Wet meadows and bogs and streamsides.
Plant strategy type/successional
stage: (stress-tolerator,
competitor, weedy/colonizer, seral, late successional)
·
Stress-tolerator
– post-snowmelt at alpine elevations
·
Stream-side/wet meadow
colonizer at alpine elevations [1, 2, 3, 5]
Associated species: [6]
·
Tsuga mertensiana
·
Abies lasiocarpa
·
Mimulus lewisii
·
Vahlodea atropurpurea
·
Calamagrostis canadensis
·
Poa alpina
·
Veratrum viride
·
Lupinus latifolius
·
Rannunculus eschscholtzii
·
Castilleja
spp.
·
Cassiope
stelleriana
·
Carex nigricans
May be collected as:
Mature seed
Collection restrictions or guidelines:
Mature seeds are tan, and
may be collected when the seed capsules (many-seeded pods [5]) begin to split
at the top. It is sometimes difficult to
obtain seeds before snowfall in September.
[3]
Seed germination:
“ Seed
is placed into a 1000 ppm gibrellic
acid soak with distilled water for 15 minutes. The imbibed seeds are placed on
moistened paper towels using distilled water in open plastic bags under
refrigeration at 2C for 100 days. Seed is checked every other day to monitor
moisture content and fungal contamination of paper towels. “ [3]
Seed life:
Can be stored at least
three years [3]
Recommended seed storage conditions:
Seeds should be removed
and separated from capsules, and stored in sealed containers at 3C to 5C with
low relative humidity. [3]
Propagation recommendations:
·
Seeds (surface-sown),
after temperature stratification and acid scarification [3]
·
20 weeks growing stage, 8
weeks hardening [3]
·
Overwinter seedlings under cover [3]
·
9 months total growing
time before planting [3]
Soil or medium requirements:
70% milled spaghnum peat moss, 20% perlite,
and 10% washed sand [3]
Installation form:
9 month-old seedlings [3]
Recommended planting density:
Based upon personal observations, plant no closer than 10 inches apart
in target areas for typical coverage, and no farther apart than 14 inches.
Care requirements after installed: (water weekly, water once etc.)
Requires constant moisture
(if properly located, no watering should be necessary, as location will provide
sufficient water)
Normal rate of growth or spread; lifespan:
2cm to 3cm per growing season [3]
Sources cited:
(1) Gentiana calycosa. USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service Plants Database. Retrieved April 10,
2006 from the World Wide Web: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=GECA
(2) Pojar, Jim, et al. (1994). Plants of the
(3) Protocol Information
(Gentiana calycosa). Retrieved April 10, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://www.nativeplantnetwork.org/network/view.asp?protocol_id=305
(4) Spellenberg, Richard. (2001). National Audubon Society
Field Guide to North American Wildflowers – Western Region.
Knopf:
(5) Taylor, Ronald J. and
George W. Douglas. (1995). Mountain
plants of the
(6) Visual observations (Autumn 2005) of
Walter Wilson at Bird creek meadows (
Data compiled by:
Walter S. Wilson, 11 April 2006