Gentian, << JEHN shuhn, >> is a group of wild and cultivated plants that includes about 600 species. The showy flowers are often blue, but may be yellow, white, or red. Gentians grow throughout the world except in Africa. About 20 species thrive in the United States. The best-known species in North America is a type of fringed gentian. Its bright blue, open, bell-shaped flowers appear early in fall. Each stem has one flower. The plants grow from 1 to 3 feet (30 to 91 centimeters) tall and have long, pointed leaves.
The flowers of many gentians never open. These are called closed, or bottle, gentians. The common closed gentian of the Eastern United States has clusters of blue flowers from August to October.
A large yellow gentian grows in the Alps and the Pyrenees Mountains at elevations from 3,000 to 6,000 feet (900 to 1,800 meters). The plants are about 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall and bear clusters of open yellow flowers. The yellowish-brown bitter root of these gentians is used for flavoring in vermouth and as a medicine.
