Gentiana setigera
Mendocino gentian
(c) Asher Budnik, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Gentianaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Gentiana setigera (Mendocino gentian) is a native California herb in the Gentianaceae family, recognized by distinctive basal rosette and lateral stem emergence.
Mendocino gentian is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in the northern Coast Ranges of Mendocino County in wet mountain meadows at elevations around 1,065 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces striking blue flowers with delicate 10 to 16 millimeter lobes and distinctive thread-like appendages divided into two to three segments. Growing with decumbent stems 20 to 45 centimeters tall, it emerges laterally below a basal rosette with multiple stems. Its leaves are spoon-shaped to elliptic, with basal leaves 25 to 85 millimeters long and 5 to 15 millimeters wide, and cauline leaves progressively narrower toward the stem tip. The flowers, typically two to four per plant, feature a calyx 14 to 23 millimeters long with ovate-oblong lobes and a corolla reaching 35 to 50 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; distinctive basal rosette and lateral stem emergence
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet mountain meadows
Elevation: +- 1065 m.
California counties: Mendocino, Siskiyou, Del Norte
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Gentiana setigera blooms Jul-Sep.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
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 setigera native to California?
Yes. Gentiana setigera is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gentiana setigera bloom?
Gentiana setigera blooms Jul-Sep.
Where in California does Gentiana setigera grow?
Gentiana setigera occurs in Mendocino, Siskiyou, Del Norte, at elevations of +- 1065 m..
What plant family does Gentiana setigera belong to?
Gentiana setigera is in the Gentianaceae family, genus Gentiana.
Is Gentiana setigera rare or endangered?
Gentiana setigera carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Gentiana sp. — Gentian
- Gentiana affinis var. ovata — Oregon gentian
- Gentiana calycosa — Explorers' gentian
- Gentiana fremontii — Fremont's gentian
- Gentiana newberryi — Alpine gentian
- Gentiana newberryi var. newberryi — Alpine gentian
- Gentianaceae sp. — Gentian family
- Gentianella amarella subsp. acuta — Northern gentian
- Gentianella sp.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.