Clusius' gentian

The Blue Gentian from Avsenik's song

The Clusius' gentian is one of the most common plants that blooms in the spring months on limestone mountain pastures and rocky meadows. This blue flower can be found both in the high mountains and a bit lower in the alpine valleys.

The plant is named after the naturalist Clusius, who was the first to describe it.

Source: Pixabay

Clusius' gentian (Gentiana clusii)

Size	up to 10 cm in height
Blooming period	May- July
Growing site	mountain pastures, rocky meadows, and rock crevices
Distribution	The Alps, the Trnovo Forest, Snežnik

Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	angiosperms
Class	dicotyledons
Order	Gentianales
Family	Gentianaceae
Genus	Gentiana
Species	Clusius' gentian

Clusius' gentian is a perennial that blooms from May to July. The plant thrives primarily in the Alps, but also in some areas of the Trnovo Forest, the Idrija Hills, and beneath Snežnik.

The basal leaves form a rosette. They are somewhat leathery, lance-shaped, and narrow towards the tip. The stem leaves are smaller and not numerous. The bell-shaped, dark blue flowers are solitary and have five petals.

DO YOU KNOW?

Many people simply refer to Clusius' gentian as gentian.
Clusius' gentian is similar to the rare Koch's gentian, which grows in acidic habitats.
In the song Tam, kjer murke cveto (Where the European orchids Bloom), Avsenik sings about Clusius' gentian: "… there, where the blue gentian blooms, proudly and cheerfully, gently inviting…".