Gentiana affinis var. ovata
Oregon gentian, Oregon Gentian
(c) Cesar Ormazabal, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Cesar Ormazabal · licence
Family: Gentianaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 3
Gentiana affinis var. ovata (Oregon gentian) is a native California perennial in the Gentianaceae family, recognized by leaf width/shape and sinus appendage division.
Oregon gentian is a California native perennial found in northern coastal, Klamath Ranges, high Cascade Range, central coastal, San Francisco Bay, and Warner Mountains regions in meadows and shrubby places at elevations below 2,300 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces blue (occasionally white) flowers 25 to 45 millimeters long with distinctive corolla lobes and deeply divided appendages. Growing with decumbent to erect stems 5 to 70 centimeters tall that are puberulent and emerge from a caudex, it develops multiple stems in a single cluster. Its cauline leaves range from 10 to 45 millimeters long, varying from elliptic to ovate, with lower leaves shorter than stem internodes and upper leaves longer, featuring minutely ciliate margins. The plant produces winged seeds and develops between 1 to 7 flowers in terminal and upper node clusters.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; key features are leaf width/shape and sinus appendage division
Habitat and range
Habitat: Meadows, shrubby places
Elevation: < 2300 m
California counties: Marin, Del Norte, Modoc, Lassen, Placer, Trinity, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, Alpine
Outside California: to Washington, Idaho
Bloom period
Gentiana affinis var. ovata blooms Jul-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 3
How to tell it apart
vs Gentianopsis: Gentiana corolla lobes have folded pleats (plaits) in the sinuses between them and entire lobe margins; Gentianopsis (fringed gentian) lacks pleats and has conspicuously fringed lobe margins.; vs Gentianella: Gentiana has pleated sinuses between the lobes; Gentianella has no pleats, often a fringe of hairs in the throat, and generally smaller flowers.; vs Frasera: Gentiana has a tubular-funnel corolla of fused lobes with pleated sinuses; Frasera and Swertia have wheel-shaped, deeply divided corollas with nectary pits or glands on each lobe.; vs Zeltnera: Gentiana is a fleshy perennial with large blue funnel flowers and pleated sinuses; Zeltnera and Centaurium are slender annuals with pink flat-faced (salverform) flowers and no pleats.; vs Comastoma: Gentiana has pleated corolla sinuses; Comastoma is a tiny alpine annual with a fringe of scales in the corolla throat and no pleats.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gentiana affinis var. ovata native to California?
Yes. Gentiana affinis var. ovata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gentiana affinis var. ovata bloom?
Gentiana affinis var. ovata blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Gentiana affinis var. ovata grow?
Gentiana affinis var. ovata occurs in Marin, Del Norte, Modoc, Lassen, Placer, Trinity, Humboldt, Mendocino and other counties, at elevations of < 2300 m.
What plant family does Gentiana affinis var. ovata belong to?
Gentiana affinis var. ovata is in the Gentianaceae family, genus Gentiana.
Is Gentiana affinis var. ovata rare or endangered?
Gentiana affinis var. ovata carries California Rare Plant Rank 3, state rank S1S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.