Gentiana pannonica

Gentiana pannonica, the brown gentian or Hungarian gentian (German: Ostalpen-Enzian, Pannonischer Enzian, Ungarischer Enzian or Ungarn-Enzian[1]), is a species of flowering plant of the genus Gentiana in the family of Gentianaceae.

Hungarian gentian
Hungarian gentian (Gentiana pannonica)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Gentianaceae
Genus: Gentiana
Species:
G. pannonica
Binomial name
Gentiana pannonica

Description
Illustration from Deutschlands Flora in Abbildungen nach der Natur
Flower detail
Habit: leaves and flowers opposite

Description

The Hungarian gentian is a perennial, herbaceous plant, which grows to a height of 20 to 60 centimetres. All the above-ground parts of the plant are hairless. Its stem is upright and strong.

The five to seven-veined leaves are decussate. The lower leaves are petiolate and elliptic in shape; the upper ones are sessile and lanceolate.

The Hungarian gentian flowers from July to September. Its flowers are located in the upper leaf axils or grouped at the end of the stem.

The hermaphroditic flowers are radially symmetrical with double perianths. The green sepals are fused. The calyx is bell-shaped and has five to eight outward curving teeth. The bell-shaped corolla is 25 to 50 millimetres long. It is wider at the top and, towards the middle, has five to nine petals. The corolla tip is ovate. On their outer side, the petals are red and violet with black and red spots, the inside is usually yellowish.

Its chromosome count is 2n = 40.[2]

Taxonomy

The first publication of Gentiana pannonica was by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli. The species epithet pannonica derives from the Roman province of Pannonia. Synonyms for Gentiana pannonica SCOP. are: Gentiana semifida HOFFMANSS. EX RCHB. and Coilantha pannonica G.DON.

Similar species

The Hungarian gentian is very similar to the purple gentian (Gentiana purpurea).

Distribution and habitat

Range

The Hungarian gentian is found in the Eastern Alps, Bergamasque Alps, Carpathians and Transylvania. The western boundary of the gentian (Allgäu, eastern Switzerland) is coincident with the eastern boundary of the purple gentian.

In Austria the Hungarian gentian is scattered to moderately common (e.g. on the Krippenstein/Dachstein). It does not occur in Vienna or the Burgenland. In Germany it occurs in the alms of the Bavarian Forest, including within the Bavarian Forest National Park.

Habitat

The Hungarian gentian thrives best on calcareous soil, but also on soils poor in calcium. It occurs in Central Europe in perennial meadows and cirques, bogs and mountain pine bush. The Hungarian gentian is a character species of the Nardion community, but also occurs in plant communities of the sub-group rhododendro-vaccinienion.[2]

Uses and conservation

The Hungarian gentian is an old medicinal herb and is used like the yellow gentian. Because it was intensively used in former times, its stocks shrank to just small residual populations. As a result the IUCN placed it in the "near threatened" category.[3] For the conservation of this species habitat management plans were created or adjusted.

References
  1. Gentiana pannonica Scop., Ungarn-Enzian. In: FloraWeb.de.
  2. Erich Oberdorfer (2001). Pflanzensoziologische Exkursionsflora für Deutschland und angrenzende Gebiete: Unter Mitarbeit von Angelika Schwabe und Theo Müller (in German) (8th, heavily revised and expanded ed.). Stuttgart (Hohenheim): Eugen Ulmer. p. 755. ISBN 3-8001-3131-5.
  3. S. Khela (2017). "Gentiana pannonica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Literature
  • Xaver Finkenzeller; Jürke Grau (2002). Alpenblumen. Erkennen und bestimmen. Steinbachs Naturführer (in German). Munich: Mosaik. ISBN 3-576-11482-3.
  • Manfred A. Fischer; Wolfgang Adler; Karl Oswald (2005). Exkursionsflora für Österreich, Liechtenstein und Südtirol (in German) (2nd improved and expanded ed.). Linz: Land Oberösterreich, Biologiezentrum der Oberösterreichischen Landesmuseen. ISBN 3-85474-140-5.
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