Japanese Gentian

Image: Wikimedia Commons (See link for license)

Japanese Gentian🌸

Gentiana scabra var. buergeri

リンドウ

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リンドウ科HerbPerennialAutumnBlue-purple flowersMedicinalMountain fields

A perennial herb native to Japanese mountain meadows and a quintessential autumn wildflower. It bears several blue-purple bell-shaped flowers at the stem apex, opening only on sunny days, earning it the nickname 'fair-weather flower.' The root is used as the herbal medicine 'Ryutan' (Gentianae Radix), a stomachic.

Identification Points

  • Bell-shaped blue-purple flowers (open only in sunny weather)
  • Dark purple spots on the inner surface of the corolla
  • Leaves opposite with 3 conspicuous veins

Habitat

Mountain grasslands and forest edges

Season

September–November (flowers)

3D Specimen Model

Kyushu University, Shikano Lab (CC0)

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Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification

Leaf arrangement

Opposite

Leaf type

Simple

Venation

Pinnate

Leaf margin

Entire

Leaf shape

Ovate

Growth form

Herb

Petal count

5 petals

Petal fusion

Fused

Flower color

Purple

Flowering season

Autumn

Habitat

Mountain

Stipules

Absent

Leaf dissection

Undivided

Ovary position

Superior

Phylogenetic Positionリンドウ科

Phylogenetic Position

Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core Eudicots > Gentianales > Gentianaceae

Divergence Era

Paleogene (ca. 50 million years ago)

Evolution Notes

Gentianaceae is a sympetalous family that has evolved sophisticated flower-opening and -closing responses to temperature and light conditions.

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Sources & References

📖Wikipedia 日本語版
🤖Claude AI生成(未確認)内容の正確性は未確認。

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