About Gentiana sceptrum Griseb.
Gentiana sceptrum Griseb. is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Gentianaceae. Its common names are king's scepter gentian and king's gentian. This plant is native to the west coast of North America, ranging from British Columbia down to northern California. It grows in wet habitats in hills and mountains, including flooded meadows and bogs, and can also be found growing at sea level in sphagnum bogs. It is a perennial herb. Its stems can grow along the ground or stand erect, and can reach close to one meter in height. The stems are leafy; each leaf is oval-shaped, several centimeters long, and roughly half as wide as it is long. Its flowers grow either alone, or clustered into inflorescences that hold several flowers. When open, each flower is four to five centimeters long, and two to three centimeters wide across the mouth. The corolla is dark blue to purple, with pointed lobes. The fruit it produces is a capsule, which holds seeds that have small wings.
