Gentiana asclepiadea

Botanical Description

Gentiana asclepiadea is a herbaceous perennial plant producing a clump of usually unbranched, arching stems around 40 - 70cm long, occasionally to 100cm[ 74 Title Flora of the USSR. Publication Author Komarov. V. L. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Israel Program for Scientific Translation Year 1968 ISBN - Description An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet. , 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. The plant is often harvested from the wild for local and often wider use as a medicine. The roots are often used as a substitute for Gentiana lutea in making proprietary medicines for use as a bitter tonic, stomachic etc. It is often grown as an ornamental, there are several named forms[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. Gentiana asclepiadea has a widespread distribution in Europe and although there is no information on major threats or the population trend, it is clearly stated as not threatened in parts of its range and has even been described as common in Romania. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].