Image of Gentiana lutea subsp. symphyandra (Murb.) Hayek

Description:

Slo.: bratinski koutnik, zraslopranini rumeni svi - syn.: Gentiana symphyandra Murb. - Habitat: Dry grassland, former pasture, slightly inclined mountain slope, south aspect, open, warm and dry place; calcareous ground, limestone; elevation 980 m (3.200 feet), average precipitations ~ 1.500-1.600 mm/year, average temperature 10-12 deg C, sub-Mediterranean phytogeographical region. sub-Mediterranean phytogeographical regionSubstratum: soil.Comment: Gentiana lutea ssp. symphyandra is a magnificent plant up to 1.5 m tall. It is an old and very powerful medicinal herb recognized by science too and included in pharmacopeia of many nations. About 6.000 tons of its roots are used in the pharma industry in Europe every year (Ref.4). Since the plant is quite rare, endangered and protected by law, most, if not completely, of it comes from plantations. To my personal experience this is the most effective and almost immediately helping remedy for stomach problems (lack of digesting juices). It is the most bitter plant (roots) I've ever tasted.In Slovenia another relative of it - Gentiana lutea ssp. vardjanii Wraber - is also growing. Both plants are similar from far. But they can be easily distinguished by a small flower detail. In Gentiana lutea ssp. vardjanii the stamens are free, while Gentiana lutea ssp. symphyandra has grown together stamens. The last one also has small brown dots on its petals (see picture 33).Protected according to: Uredba o zavarovanih prostoiveih rastlinskih vrstah, poglavje A, Uradni list RS, t. 46/2004 (Regulation of protected wild plants, chapter A, Official Gazette of Republic Slovenia, no. 46/2004), (2004).Pravilnik o uvrstitvi ogroenih rastlinskih in ivalskih vrst v rdei seznam, Uradni list RS, t. 82/2002 (Regulation of enlisting of endangered plant and animal species onto Red List, Official Gazette of Republic Slovenia, no. 82/2002) (2002).Enlisted in the Slovene Red List of rare and endangered species, marked by 'V' representing a vulnerable species.Ref.:(1) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 508. (2) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 2., Haupt (2004), p 10.(3) A. Kuar in D. Barievi, Cultivation Trials of Yellow Gentian (Gentiana lutea L. subsp. symphyandra Murb.) in West Part of Slovenia (in Slovene), Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 87 - 2, (2006), pp 213 224; available at: http://aas.bf.uni-lj.si/september2006/03kusar.pdf