Practical
Plants

Gentiana thunbergii

an annual or biennial member of the Gentiana genus in the family Gentianaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual, biennial
Height
1.2 m
Fertility
Bumblebees, Butterflies
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bumblebees, Butterflies

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young plants and flower buds - cooked[3].

Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Although we have no record of medicinal use for this species, like most other members of this genus the root probably contains various bitter compounds and can be used as a general tonic for the digestive system[K]. See G. lutea for more details of potential uses.

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea and Manchuria.
Habitat
Sunny places in lowland and mountains, C. and N. Japan[8].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a light position in a cold frame[4]. 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[4][6]. It is advantageous to keep the seed at about 10°c for a few days after sowing, to enable the seed to imbibe moisture[6]. 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[6]. 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[6]. 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[6]. 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[6]. When the plants are of sufficient size, place them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Division in March[2]. 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[6]. Cuttings of basal shoots in late spring[5].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

In general, gentians require a moist well-drained soil in a sheltered position, a certain minimum of atmospheric humidity, high light intensity but a site where temperatures are not too high[6]. 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[4][6]. Most species will grow well in the rock garden[4]. 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[1]. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance[4].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926-00-00

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  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  5. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

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  6. Kohlein. F. Gentians. Christopher Helm. London. 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-192-0

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

  7. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

  8. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

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