Common Name:

General Information

Gentiana cachemirica is a herbaceous perennial plant forming a basal rosette of leaves; it produces a few to many branched, decumbent stems up to 25cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Himalayan regions of Pakistan, northwest India, Nepal and Tibet

Habitat

Rock crevices and on ledges; at elevations from 2,400 - 4,000 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.20 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Gentiana cachemirica is native to mountainius regions in the temperate zone of the Himalayas, where it can be found at elevations up to 4,000 metres. Not a very cold-tolerant plant, when fully dormant it can withstand short periods with temperatures down to about -8°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[]. An excellent garden plant, this species likes a well-drained, stony soil and grows well in a sunny position in situations such as a dry-stone wall where its stems can hang down[].
Plants are intolerant of root disturbance[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bitter tasting plant is used to increase the appetite and also as a treatment against throat infections[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - germination is often poor, the best results come from sowing the seed in late summer or early Autumn 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 commences[]. 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 in early spring[]. Most members of this genus have either a single tap-root, or a compact root system united in a single root head, and are thus unsuitable for division[].
Cuttings of basal shoots in late spring[].