Download NYNHP Conservation Guide for Lesser Fringed Gentian

Lesser Fringed Gentian
Gentianopsis virgata flower
Scientific Name
Gentianopsis virgata
(Raf.) Holub
Family Name
Gentianaceae
Gentian Family
Did you know?
This beautiful gentian was first discovered in New
York in 1833 in the Niagara Falls area and is still
only known from there and a second location along
the St. Lawrence River.
Photo credits: Stephen M. Young
Summary
Protection Endangered in New York State, not listed federally.
This level of state protection means: listed species are those with: 1) 5 or fewer extant
sites, or 2) fewer than 1,000 individuals, or 3) restricted to fewer than 4 U.S.G.S. 7 ½
minute topographical maps, or 4) species listed as endangered by U.S. Department of
Interior.
Rarity G5, S1
A global rarity rank of G5 means: This species is demonstrably secure globally, though it
may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
A state rarity rank of S1 means: This plant is endangered/critically imperiled in New York
because of extreme rarity (typically 5 or fewer populations or very few remaining
individuals) or is extremely vulnerable to extirpation from New York due to biological
factors.
Conservation Status in New York
There are seven existing populations in two areas of the state. Only two populations have
more than 100 plants and two are very small with fewer than ten plants. Threre are three
other historical occurrences that are considered extirpated by development.
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Lesser Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis virgata)
Short-term Trends
The existing populations seem stable although they occur in fragile environments.
Long-term Trends
Originally there were ten populations known but now there are seven.
Conservation and Management
Threats
Some cliff populations are threatened by rock removal, erosion of the cliff faces and
trampling by adventure-seeking tourists. Riverside and cliff top populations are threatened
by a succession of shrubs and trees, trampling by fishermen, and invasion by exotic
species like purple loosestrife and Phragmites.
Conservation Strategies and Management Practices
Invasive species need to be suppressed around existing populations. Populations should
be evaluated before any rock removal is attempted. Open areas should be kept free of tree
and shrub succession.
Research Needs
Research is needed to see if populations can be augmented by propagation.
Habitat
In New York Gentianopsis virgata is known from a variety generally moist, limey, rocky habitats.
These include calcareous cliffs and ledges as well as seeps in limestone gorges, talus slopes, and
rocky flats (New York Natural Heritage Program 2013). A calciphile of sandy, gravelly, rocky, and
marly shores, wet meadows, crevices in limestone (or dolomite) pavements; interdunal hollows and
calcareous flats along the Great Lakes (Voss 1996). Bogs, meadows, and wet shores, especially in
calcareous regions (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). Boggy prairies, sandy swamps, borders of
sloughs, wet calcareous rocks, etc. (Fernald 1950).
Associated Ecological Communities
Calcareous Cliff Community
A community that occurs on vertical exposures of resistant, calcareous bedrock (such as
limestone or dolomite) or consolidated material; these cliffs often include ledges and small
areas of talus.
Calcareous Shoreline Outcrop
A community that occurs along the shores of lakes and streams on outcrops of calcareous
rocks such as limestone and dolomite. The vegetation is sparse; most plants are rooted in
rock crevices.
Cobble Shore
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Lesser Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis virgata)
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A community that occurs on the well-drained cobble shores of lakes and streams. These
shores are usually associated with high-energy waters (such as high-gradient streams),
and they are likely to be scoured by floods or winter ice floes.
Other Probable Associated Communities
Alvar grassland
Alvar shrubland
Calcareous talus slope woodland
Limestone woodland
Rich sloping fen
Associated Species
Boxelder (Acer negundo)
Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
False-foxglove (Agalinis paupercula var. borealis)
Slenderleaf False Foxglove (Agalinis tenuifolia)
White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima var. altissima)
Creeping Bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera)
Little Green Sedge (Carex viridula)
Variegated Horsetail (Equisetum variegatum)
Flat-top Fragrant Goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia)
Spotted Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)
Common Rush (Juncus effusus)
Kalm's Lobelia (Lobelia kalmii)
Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
Balsam Ragwort (Packera paupercula)
Carolina Grass-of-parnassus (Parnassia glauca)
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Carolina Rose (Rosa carolina)
Creeping Spikemoss (Selaginella apoda)
Climbing Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
Nodding Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes cernua)
Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)
Bottomland Aster (Symphyotrichum ontarione)
Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
Eastern Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)
Summer Grape (Vitis aestivalis)
Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia)
Mountain Death Camas (Zigadenus elegans ssp. glaucus)
Identification Comments
Gentianopsis virgata is an annual to biennial herbaceous plant with stems growing up to 50
cm tall, often branching near the top. The leaves are opposite in 8 to 13 pairs located
below the primary flowering stalk (peduncle). The middle and upper stem leaves are linear
or very narrowly lanceolate, 2 to 12 mm wide and 6 to 21 times as long with a sharply
pointed tip. The flowers are strikingly rich blue to purple in color, and are 4-parted,
funnel-shaped and 38 to 51 mm across and borne singly on slender stalks at the end of the
main stem and in the upper leaf axils, with 1 to 6 flowers per plant. The petals are typically
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Lesser Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis virgata)
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irregularly toothed (erose) across the top and fringed along their sides. The sepals are 1.5
to 4.5 cm long, tapering to a point (acuminate), and have keels completely covered with
rough small, rounded projections (Fernald 1950).
Best Life Stage for Identifying This Species
For positive identification of lLsser Fringed Gentian, the entire plant including stem, leaves
and mature flowers is needed.
The Best Time to See
Gentianopsis vrigata typically flowers beginning in mid-August and continuing into
mid-October with mature fruits present from late September to mid-November.
Flowering
Fruiting
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
The time of year you would expect to find Lesser Fringed Gentian in New York.
Similar Species
Gentianopsis as a genus can be distinguished from other Gentians by its unfolded, fringed
corollas.There are only two species of Gentianopsis in New York. Gentianopsis virgata is
very similar in appearance to Gentianopsis crinita and it is often very difficult to distinguish
the two species from one another. Voss (1996) reports that the "floral differences between
G. virgata and G. crinita do not hold up, although there is a tendency for the cilia (fringe) at
the end of the corolla lobes in G. procera to be reduced to little more than irregular teeth."
Generally, G. crinita has wider leaves that are less than 4 times as long as broad or over 1
cm wide (usually both) and with a pronounced fringe across both the summit as well as the
sides of the corolla lobes. More robust plants of G. virgata may have somewhat wider
leaves than described in the literature, but these are also proportionally larger so that the
length is 6-21 times the width, which is less than 1 cm at the widest point. (Michigan Flora
Online 2011)
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Anthophyta
Class
Dicots (Dicotyledoneae)
Order
Gentianales
Family
Gentianaceae (Gentian Family)
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Lesser Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis virgata)
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Additional Common Names
Fringed Gentian
Synonyms
Gentiana procera (Holm)
Gentianopsis procera ((Holm) Ma)
Additional Resources
Links
New York Flora Atlas Species Page
http://newyork.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=1543
Minnesota Wildflowers - Lesser Fringed Gentian
http://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/lesser-fringed-gentian
USDA Plants Database
http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?mode=sciname&keywordquery=
GENTIANOPSIS+PROCERA
NatureServe Explorer
http://natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=GENTIANOPSIS+PROC
ERA
Google Images
http://images.google.com/images?q=GENTIANOPSIS+PROCERA
Michigan Flora Online - Gentianopsis
http://www.michiganflora.net/genus.aspx?id=Gentianopsis
References
Fernald, M.L. 1950. Gray's manual of botany. 8th edition. D. Van Nostrand, New York. 1632 pp.
Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States
and Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 910 pp.
Holmgren, Noel. 1998. The Illustrated Companion to Gleason and Cronquist's Manual. Illustrations
of the Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. The New York
Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York.
Keys, Jr.,J.; Carpenter, C.; Hooks, S.; Koenig, F.; McNab, W.H.; Russell, W.;Smith, M.L. 1995.
Ecological units of the eastern United States - first approximation (cd-rom), Atlanta, GA: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. GIS coverage in ARCINFO format, selected imagery,
and map unit tables.
MICHIGAN FLORA ONLINE. A. A. Reznicek, E. G. Voss, & B. S. Walters. February 2011. University
of Michigan. Web. Accessed March 8, 2013. http://www.michiganflora.net/
Mitchell, Richard S. and Gordon C. Tucker. 1997. Revised Checklist of New York State Plants.
Contributions to a Flora of New York State. Checklist IV. Bulletin No. 490. New York State
Museum. Albany, NY. 400 pp.
NatureServe. 2005. NatureServe Central Databases. Arlington, Virginia. USA
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Lesser Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis virgata)
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Voss, E.G. 1996. Michigan Flora. Part III. Dicots (Pyrolaceae-Compositae). Cranbrook Institute of
Science Bulletin 61 and Univ. Michigan Herbarium. Ann Arbor, Michigan. 622 pp.
Weldy, T. and D. Werier. 2010. New York flora atlas. [S.M. Landry, K.N. Campbell, and L.D. Mabe
(original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research
http://www.fccdr.usf.edu/. University of South Florida http://www.usf.edu/
New York Natural Heritage Program
This project is made possible with funding from:
625 Broadway, 5th Floor,
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River
Albany, NY 12233-4757
Estuary Program
Phone: (518) 402-8935
- Division of Lands & Forests, Department of Environmental Conservation
[email protected]
- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Information for this guide was last updated on Oct 29, 2015
This guide was authored by Stephen M. Young, Elizabeth Spencer, Richard M. Ring.
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Lesser Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis virgata)
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