Gentiana plurisetosa

Klamath gentian, Klamath Gentian

Family: Gentianaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Klamath gentian is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges and northern coastal ranges in wet mountain meadows at elevations of 1,200 to 1,900 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces deep blue flowers with intricate corolla lobes 7 to 14 millimeters long, each with short-acuminate tips and delicate thread-like appendages. Growing 5 to 40 centimeters tall with decumbent to erect stems emerging from a caudex, the plant develops multiple stems with densely spaced cauline leaves. Its cauline leaves are notably broad, measuring 12 to 60 millimeters long and 7 to 38 millimeters wide, with elliptic to round shapes and obtuse to acute tips. The flower's unique calyx reaches 17 to 25 millimeters long, with lance-elliptic lobes that contribute to its distinctive alpine meadow appearance.

Habitat: Wet mountain meadows

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: 1200-1900 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoRO

California counties: Humboldt, Siskiyou

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.