GENTIANACEAE
Morphological description
Herbs. Usually erect terrestrial plants. Climber (Tripterospermum); saprophyte (Cotylanthera); cushion plants (some species of Gentiana).
Leaves
Leaves simple, opposite, entire, exstipulate; Usually 3-nerved.
Flowers
Flower bisexual, actinomorphic; calyx and corolla tubular, corolla lobes contorted; ovary superior, 1-locular, with two parietal placentas; ovules many. Usually corolla blue
Fruit
Fruit a capsule.
Different from: Apocynaceae: mostly woody, white latex, fruit usually apocarpous. - Loganiaceae: mostly woody, interpetiolar stipules, ovary 2-locular. - Menyanthaceae: water plants, leaves spiral.
Distribution: The family worldwide, especially in temperate regions. In Malesia 9 genera,including : - Exacum (paleotropics); - Gentiana (worldwide), in Malesia chiefly montane / alpine; - Microrphium (West Malesia), shrub of limestone habitats; - Swertia (mainly northern hemisphere), in Malesia mostly montane.
Notes: Some species have horticultural potential.
Literature: C.A. Backer & R.C. Bakhuizen van den Brink, Fl. Java 2 (1965) 437- 441; P. van Royen, Nova Guinea Bot. 17 (1964) 369- 416.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Cotylanthera 7 - Exacum 64 - Gentiana 1, 64 - Swertia 82 - Tripterospermum (Crawfurdia) 5, 6, 64.
Illustrations: Fig. 79. Exacum tetragonum Roxb. (Gentianaceae). Reproduced from M. R. Henderson, Malayan wild flowers, Dicotyledons (1949/51, repr. 1974) 306. With kind permission of the Malaysian Nature Society. Fig. 80. Gentiana recurvifolia P. Royen (Gentianaceae). Habit; enlarged tip of stem with flower. Reproduced from Nova Guinea, Bot. 17 (1964) 391, fig. 9a, b.
Image in PhytoImages for Gentianaceae