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