Common Name: Hungarian Gentian

General Information

Gentiana pannonica is a stout, herbaceous perennial plant producing a clump of growth with several flowering stems around 15 - 60cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a flavouring in alcoholic beverages and a medicine. It is one of several species where the roots are used in the same ways as Gentiana lutea, a well-known and popular herbal remedy that is especially useful as a tonic, stomachic and appetizer, used in treating digestive problems, low energy etc.The plant is also sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Gentiana pannonica is a rare plant with a restricted distribution in the Eastern Alps and Bohemian Forest. Sub-populations are isolated and the regeneration of the population is limited due to land use changes, particularly abandonment of pastures. Populations in secondary habitats show reduced genetic variability, which may affect the ability of the species to adapt to changing conditions in future. Changes in land use have also resulted in declines in the quality and quantity of available habitat. It has been threatened by exhaustive over-collection for its medicinal use in the past; it remains unclear if its collection still continues or if it exists in cultivation. The species is threatened in four out of the six countries in which it occurs (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany and Switzerland). It is very rare in Italy, where it is known from only one locality; subpopulations in Slovenia are not declining. The overall population decline has not been quantified, it is known to be declining in parts of its range, but stable in others. It occurs in more than 10 locations but may be considered severely fragmented, as subpopulations are scattered and isolated and seedling establishment limited. It is also difficult to estimate the number of mature individuals, as this species can remain inconspicuous for relatively long periods of time. Based on population surveys across much of its range in the eastern Alps, the population size may be quite low (perhaps as low as 10,000-15,000 mature individuals), but this cannot be confirmed with the information available. The plant is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].pecies(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

Central Europe - mountainous regions, mainly in the eastern Alps of Austria, Germany and Slovenia, also in the Czech Republic.Italy, Switzerland

Habitat

Meadows and pastures, screes and grassy bottoms of alpine corries, amongst dwarf pine and in forests; at elevations usually above 2,000 metres[]. It is found on both limestone and acid rocks[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Near Threatened
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.40 m
Pollinators	Bumblebees, Butterflies
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Gentiana pannonica is native to mountainous regions in the temperate zone of central Europe, where it can be found at elevations up to 2,000 metres. A very cold-tolerant plant, when fully dormant it can withstand temperatures down to about -25°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[].
Plants are intolerant of root disturbance[]. Although sometimes found wild on alkaline soils, it prefers a neutral to slightly acid soil in cultivation[].
A moisture loving plant, preferring to grow with full exposure to the sun but with plenty of underground moisture in the summer, it grows better in the north and west of Britain[].
A long-lived species[].
The plant is self-compatible, though most seed is produced as a result of out-crossing[].
This species is closely related to Gentiana punctata and Gentiana purpurea[].
Plants are intolerant of root disturbance[].
The flowers have the scent of the old tea rose[].

Edible Uses

The root is sometimes used in the manufacture of gentian bittersand gentian schnapps[].

Medicinal

This species is one of many in the genus that are a rich source of the bitter-tasting secoiridoid glucosides - these compounds have a proven efficacy in the treatment of problems related to the digestive system. The plant is widely used to produce a range of proprietary medicines. The following notes are based on the general uses of Gentiana 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 older plants in early spring[, ].
Cuttings of basal shoots in late spring[].