The Field Gentian is to be found in damp pastures all over the country,
especially in Scotland, where it is very plentiful. It blooms in late
summer and autumn.
It is a stout, upright plant, but not very tall. The short stalks, which
fork from the main stem and bear the flowers, stand straight up very
stiffly, and the main stem itself is very firm, and has ridges running
from top to bottom.
The flowers grow singly, each on its own stalk. They consist of four
lilac-blue petals with the lower parts joined together to form a tube.
At the top of this tube, the petals fold back in four points, and within
the tube, standing close up round the mouth, there is a blue fringe.
Inside the blue tube are four stamens clinging to its sides, as well as
an upright, green seed-vessel.
The four bluey-green sepals are unequal in size. The two inner ones are
narrow, with pointed ends; the outer sepals are much broader, and they
are blunt at the tip.
The dark green leaves grow in pairs, opposite each other, and they clasp
the main stem closely. These leaves taper to a point, and have long
veins running from the broad part to the tip.
There is very often a single flower-bud growing close to the stem, where
the leaves meet.