Common Name: Stemless Gentian

General Information

Gentiana acaulis is a herbaceous perennial plant forming a mat or hummock of growth; it can grow around 5 - 20cm tall and up to 30cm in diameter[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and sometimes as a food. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Although threatened in parts of its range, Gentiana acaulis has stable populations in other parts and is unlikely to decline severely in the near future. The overall risk of extinction is low. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Europe - Mountainous regions of Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, the Balkans, Romania and Ukraine

Habitat

Alpine grassland, dry turf and pastures, rubble and scree slopes, occasionally in alpine woods; at elevations from 1,700 - 3,000 metres. Usually found in acid soils, though sometimes also found on chalky limestone or sandstone[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.10 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Bumblebees, Butterflies
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Gentiana acaulis is native to mountainous regions in the temperate zone of central and southern Europe, where is can be found at elevtions up to 3,000 metres. A very cold-tolerant plant, when fully dormant it can withstand temperatures down to about -35°c[, ].
Gentiana species generally grow best when there is ample moisture to the roots in the growing season, but they also require very good drainage[]. Often being native to mountainous regions, they require a certain minimum of atmospheric humidity; a high light intensity; but also a site where temperatures are not too high in the growing season[]. They are therefore more difficult to grow in areas with hot summers and in such a region they appreciate some protection from the strongest sunlight[, ]. Most species will grow well in the rock garden[]. This is an easily grown species, succeeding in most good garden soils, though it prefers a light loamy soil and lime-free conditions[, , ]. It appreciates a cool soil and so grows well in a pocket of soil amongst paving stones, so long as there is a gritty substrate[]. Plants dislike growing under the drip from trees[].
A very ornamental plant, there are many named varieties[]. It is a rare and protected species in the wild[].
Artificial fertilizers can have a negative effect upon the plant in all but the minutest quantities[].
Plants are intolerant of root disturbance[].

Edible Uses

The flowering stem is eaten raw as a treat[]

Medicinal

An infusion of the whole plant is used externally to lighten freckles[].

This species is one of several species that are the source of the medicinal gentian root[], the following notes are based on the general uses of G. lutea which is the most commonly used species in the West[].

Gentian root has a long history of use as a herbal bitter in the treatment of digestive disorders and is an ingredient of many proprietary medicines. It contains some of the most bitter compounds known and is used as a scientific basis for measuring bitterness[]. It is especially useful in states of exhaustion from chronic disease and in all cases of debility, weakness of the digestive system and lack of appetite[]. It is one of the best strengtheners of the human system, stimulating the liver, gall bladder and digestive system[], and is an excellent tonic to combine with a purgative in order to prevent its debilitating effects[]. The root is anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, bitter tonic, cholagogue, emmenagogue, febrifuge, refrigerant, stomachic[, , , , , , ]. It is taken internally in the treatment of liver complaints, indigestion, gastric infections and anorexia[]. It should not be prescribed for patients with gastric or duodenal ulcers[]. The root is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[]. It is quite likely that the roots of plants that have not flowered are the richest in medicinal properties[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a light position in a cold frame[]. It can also be sown in late winter or early spring but the seed germinates best if given a period of cold stratification and quickly loses viability when stored, with older seed germinating slowly and erratically[, ]. It is advantageous to keep the seed at about 10°c for a few days after sowing, to enable the seed to imbibe moisture[]. Following this with a period of at least 5 - 6 weeks with temperatures falling to between 0 and -5°c will usually produce reasonable germination[]. It is best to use clay pots, since plastic ones do not drain so freely and the moister conditions encourage the growth of moss, which will prevent germination of the seed[]. The seed should be surface-sown, or only covered with a very light dressing of compost. The seed requires dark for germination, so the pots should be covered with something like newspaper or be kept in the dark until germination begins[]. Pot up the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. The seedlings grow on very slowly, taking 2 - 7 years to reach flowering size[]. When the plants are of sufficient size, place them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer.
Division of larger clumps in early summer after the plant has flowered[]. Dig up the entire plant, divide it into 2 - 3 fair-sized clumps with a spade or knife, and replant immediately[]. Alternatively, individual rosettes can be carefully removed from the clump, these can be potted up for a few weeks before being planted in their permanent positions[].
Cuttings of basal shoots in late spring or early summer[, ]. It is best to pot them up in a cold frame until well rooted, and then plant them out into their permanent positions.