Syn.: Gentiana ciliata L., Gentianella ciliata (L.) Borkh., Hippion ciliatum (L.) F. W. Schmidt
Family: Gentianaceae Juss.
Distribution: Species of central and southern Europe, from the Iberian Peninsula through central Europe and the Balkans to southern Ukraine.
Ecology: Grows in dry or slightly wet meadows, in forest margins and in thickets, mostly on limestone soils. It flowers from July to October.
Description: Biennial to perennial herb, up to 30 cm tall, with an erect and usually unbranched stem. Lower leaves sessile, spathulate, obtuse; cauline 1–3 cm, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acute. Flowers are solitary, borne on long pedicels, tetramerous, calyx up to 25 mm long, lobes equal, corolla 25–50 mm, lobes oblanceolate, long-fimbriate at margin, blue or rarely white. The fruit is a capsule.
Threat and protection: It is endangered and protected species in some European countries (e.g. Czechia, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary).
These images were taken in Czechia, Svratecká hornatina, Švařec (September 26, 2003) and Czechia, Polabí, Bříství (September 8, 2012).
