Closed Gentian

Closed Gentian
Prairie Closed Gentian. Gentiana andrewsii.
Gentianaceae, the gentian family.

Description: Closed or bottle gentians, as the name suggests, feature a tight cluster of closed, bottle-like blue flowers atop single stalk, 1'-2' high. Flowers may also form in the leaf axils below the terminal cluster.
Flowers: Dark blue, cylindrical, bottle-shaped, 1"-1.5" long. Slightly fringed and nearly closed at top, the flowers are five-lobed. The whitish fringe distinguishes this from some very similar species.
Leaves: Smooth-margined, narrowly ovate or lanceolate, sessile, to 4" long. Generally opposite, but forming an apparent whorl below the flower cluster, due to very close spacing.
Fruit:
Blooming: Late August - early October
Habitat: Moist meadows

Comments:

Where to find it: Around and under a single bush at the west end of the pond. Look for it in late August and September