Gentiana

Gentiana frigida

This is a cosmopolitan genus, occurring in alpine habitats in temperate regions of Asia, Europe and the Americas. Some species also occur in northwestern Africa, eastern Australia, and New Zealand. They are annual, biennial, and perennial plants. Some are evergreen, others are not.

Many gentians are difficult to grow outside their wild habitat, but several species are available in cultivation. Gentians are fully hardy and can grow in full sun or partial shade. They grow in well-drained, neutral-to-acid soils rich in humus. They are popular in rock gardens.

Many beverages are made with gentian root.[5] Gentiana lutea is used to produce gentian, a distilled beverage produced in the Alps and in the Auvergne.[6] Some species are harvested for the manufacture of apéritifs, liqueurs, and tonics.

Gentian root is a common beverage flavouring for bitters. The soft drink Moxie contains gentian root.[7] The French apéritif Suze is made with gentian. Americano apéritifs contain gentian root for bitter flavoring.[8] It is an ingredient in the Italian liqueur Aperol. It is also used as the main flavor in the German after-dinner digestif called Underberg, and the main ingredient in Angostura bitters and Peychaud's Bitters.

The bitter principle of gentian root is primarily gentiopicrin (also called gentiopicroside),[9] a glycoside. A 2007 paper by a Japanese group identified 23 compounds in fresh gentian root.[10] Gentiopicrin was absent from fresh root, so it possibly develops during drying and storage of the root.

Gentian has had a limited use in perfumery, most notably as a glycerine soap (Crabtree & Evelyn) and a perfume (Corday's Possession, 1937).

Symbolism

Coat of arms of the German-speaking Community of Belgium.

The emblem of the Minamoto clan.

The gentian flower was used as the emblem of the Minamoto clan, one of the four great clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period and went on to establish the first Shogunate in the aftermath of the Genpei War. It is the official flower (called Enzian) of the German-speaking community of Belgium.

Gentiana paradoxa

Several gentian species may be found in cultivation, and are valued for the unusual intensity of their blue flowers. They have a reputation for being difficult to grow. All require similar conditions – moist, rich, free-draining soil with an acid to neutral pH. They include:[3]

In addition, the following cultivars, of mixed or uncertain parentage, have gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit:[20]

• 'Blue Silk'[21]
• 'Shot Silk'[22]
• 'Strathmore'[23]

• Struwe L, Albert VA, eds. (2002). Gentianaceae. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-80999-3.
• "Gentian Research Network".

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gentiana.

• "Gentian" . Encyclopedia Americana. 1920.
• "Gentian" . New International Encyclopedia. 1906.