XGentiana calycosa - Mountain Bog GentianX
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Mountain Bog Gentian, Mountain Gentian, Explorer's Gentian, Rainier Pleated Gentian (Gentiana calycosa), family Gentianaceae (Gentian)
The deep rich color and simple, yet royal, shape of the flowers are so pleasing to the eyes. For many more excellent pics see CalPhotos collection. This is another water lover. Often , then, one is treated to the cool and refreshing sounds of moving water as the plant is taken in by the eyes. Lovely. These flowers are especially rewarding since many of the 'regulars' of the wildflower world are done for the season by the time Mountain Bog is just coming to it's fruition. Our specimens enjoy being above it all - their elevation range is from 4000' to 13,000'. The Gentiana genus numbers about 400 species. The Wildflowercenter (University of Texas at Austin) website has this fun info on the Gentian group: 'The genus honors King Gentius of Illyria, ruler of an ancient country on the east side of the Adriatic Sea, who is reputed to have discovered medicinal virtues in gentian plants'. A tonic of bitters is still made from the species.
FunFact:
Gentian root is a major flavor component in New England's regionally popular soft drink Moxie.' The name is a tribute to the Illyrian King Gent who used the flower to heal his wounded soldiers. The best known city in the Illyrian Empire where the flower was found is located in the southwest of Montenegro. Montenegro is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast, Kosovo to the east and Albania to the south... today, called Sac (Shas, in Albanian).
This species is native to the mid-elevation mountains of the western United States and Canada from the Sierra Nevada of California to the Canadian Cascades. The plants are perennials.
Flower -
Plant location: Found hiking the Wonderland Trail, Mt. Rainier (Washington state), mid August 2007. The plant view was from a sighting hiking Bird Creek Meadow on Mt Adams, Washington, on September 15, 2007. Distributed in the following United States: (CA, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY), and Canada: (AB, BC). See the BONAP distribution map, here. Some species also occur in northwest Africa, eastern Australia and New Zealand.Plant -
Bloom period: July to October, depending on location. Leaves are opposite and glabrous (smooth and hairless).Foliage -
Spider Meadow hike - Washington - September 2, 2007
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Wonderland Trail hike - Mt. Rainier Washington - August 18, 2007
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Wonderland Trail hike - Mt. Rainier Washington - August 18, 2007
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Wonderland Trail hike - Mt. Rainier Washington - August 18, 2007
Hidden beauty in the throat of Mountain Bog Gentian. -
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