About Gentiana verna L.
Gentiana verna, commonly called the spring gentian, is a flowering plant species in the family Gentianaceae. It is one of the smallest members of the family, usually growing only a few centimetres high. Its short stem holds up to three opposing pairs of elliptical or lanceolate leaves. The plant produces conspicuous, vivid blue flowers (sometimes purplish-red, and rarely white) that are 1–2 cm in diameter, with a deeply five-lobed corolla. Flowers emerge from late spring to early summer. Butterflies and bees, particularly bumblebees, are attracted to the flowers for pollination. Ants are responsible for spreading the species' seeds. Spring gentian is one of the most widely distributed gentian species. It grows on sunny alpine meadows across Eurasia, ranging from Ireland to Russia. It is common in central and southeastern Europe, including low mountain ranges such as the Jura and the Balkans, and can be found at altitudes up to 2,600 m (8,500 ft). It also grows in mountainous areas from the High Atlas of Morocco to the mountains of Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. In northern Europe, the species is very rare, limited only to Teesdale in northern England and a small number of locations in western Ireland. It grows best on dry meadows with chalky soil, though it is also known to grow in silicaceous soils. It is a perennial hemicryptophyte. Due to its scarcity, it is protected as an endangered species in multiple European countries.
