Common Name: Purple Gentian

General Information

Gentiana purpurea is a herbaceous perennial plant forming a small clump of growth; the robust stems can grow around 30 - 60cm tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a bitter flavouring in some alcoholic drinks and as a medicine. It is one of many species in the genus used as a source of gentian root (Gentiana lutea is the primary source) which is commonly used as a tonic and stomachic to treat digestive disorders and a range of other conditions. The plant is also sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Gentiana purpurea has stable populations in Norway and Switzerland, which hold the biggest part of the global population. The root of this species is used for medicine and collection from the wild has been reported as a threat in parts of its range. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Central. and northern Europe - southern Norway, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy

Habitat

Meadows, pastures and the grassy bottoms of mountain corries, sometimes in scrub and thin conifer woodland, usually on lime-free soils[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.45 m
Pollinators	Bumblebees, butterFlies
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Gentiana purpurea is native to mountainous regions in the temperate zone of central and northern Europe.. A very cold-tolerant plant, when fully dormant it can withstand temperatures down to about -30°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 species is easily grown in a sandy, lime-free soil enriched with organic matter, so long as this is deep enough to accommodate the plant's roots[].
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[].
Plants are intolerant of root disturbance[].

Edible Uses

The root has an intensely bitter flavour and this is one of several Gentian species (Gentiana lutea is the most commonly used) that can used in the manufacture of bitter liqueurs, known as gentian bitters or gentian brandy. These liqueurs stimulate the flow of bile and improve digestion. They are used as appetizers, or are drunk when eating heavy, fatty foods in order to aid digestion. They are also used to flavour rice dishes[].

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 the glycosides 'gentiopicrin' and 'amarogentin' - these are some of the most bitter compounds known and are used as a scientific basis for measuring bitterness[, ].
The root is especially useful in relieving states of exhaustion from chronic disease and in the treatment 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 helping to regulate the thyroid gland[], and is an excellent tonic to combine with the use of a purgative in order to prevent its debilitating effects[].
The root is anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, bitter tonic, cholagogue, emmenagogue, febrifuge, refrigerant and stomachic[, , , , , ]. It is taken internally as a general tonic, appetiser and digestive, and also in the treatment of liver complaints, indigestion, gastric infections and anorexia[].
The root should not be prescribed for patients with gastric or duodenal ulcers[].

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 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[].