Gentianella amarella subspecies heterosepala. Synonym: Gentianella heterosepala. (Little Gentian)

Gentianella amarella subspecies acuta.  Synonym: Gentianella acuta. (Little Gentian)

Gentianaceae (Gentian Family)
Montane, subalpine.  Woodlands, meadows, openings.  Summer, fall.
Middle Calico Trail, August 9, 2004.

Some botanists indicate that the two Gentians shown here differ in flower color, or habitat, or size, shape, and position of leaves, or fringing, or stem color, etc.  But each of these characteristics is rejected as a distinguishing  factor by other botanists. 

Two distinguishing characteristics are, however, generally agreed on: 
1) G. amarella ssp. heterosepala has sepals which vary significantly in size and are connected only at their base (see the sepals, the green and brown leaf-like structures at far left middle).  G. amarella ssp. acuta sepals are nearly the same width and length and are connected forming a small cup at their base. 

2) The fringe of G. amarella ssp. heterosepala is not continuous to its junction with the inside of the petal; the fringe of acuta is continuous to its junction with the petal.  The flower at left has varying length and width sepals that are not united in a cup but the fringe is continuous to its junction with the petal.

Over the past many years I have examined hundreds of these plants in the Four Corners area and have found:  
1) Most plants have significantly varying sized sepals not connected in a cup.  Some flowers have sepals of very different widths and lengths, such as shown in the photograph at left; some sepals do not vary this much (as shown in the photographs below). 

2) Some of these flowers are fringed to the petals, some are not.

3) The third point is illustrated by the photographs at left. 

The top right flower (not yet open) has widely varying sepal sizes and they are not united at the base.  The sepal length and width of the other two flowers does vary but not as much and the sepals are united at their base into a cup.  What is most interesting here is that all three flowers are on the same plant!

The bottom photograph at left shows a plant growing next to the one pictured at left.  Sepal sizes on these flowers are nearly the same but again the top flower sepals are not united in a cup and the bottom two are.  Fringing of all flowers shown at left was continuous to the connection with the petal.

Are the plants shown on this page and their relatives in the Four Corners area unique species, are they hybrids, are they subspecies?  We can say this: Their names may be uncertain, but their beauty is obvious and the question of their name really means nothing to them -- it is just interesting exercise for our human brains.