FAMILY OF THE WEEK : GENTIANACEAE

satish phadke

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Jul 26, 2008, 2:18:49 PM7/26/08

to indiantreepix Indian, wildflowerindia

About 80 genera and 700 species worldwide.

Vegetative Characters : Herbs [shrubs or small trees], annual, biennial, or perennial. Stems ascending, erect, or twining. Leaves opposite, less often alternate or whorled, simple, base connate; stipules absent. Inflorescences simple or complex cymes, sometimes reduced to sessile clusters, often in a thyrse or 1-flowered. Flowers bisexual, rarely unisexual, 4 or 5 (or 6-8)[-12]-merous. Calyx tubular, obconic, campanulate, or rotate, lobes joined at least basally. Corolla tubular, obconic, salverform, funnelform, campanulate, or rotate, rarely with basal spurs; lobes overlapping to right or rarely valvate in bud; plicae (extensions of the corolla tube between the lobes) present or absent. Stamens inserted on corolla tube or occasionally at sinus between corolla lobes, alternate with lobes; anthers basifixed or dorsifixed, 2-locular. Nectaries absent or attached to ovary base or corolla. Ovary usually 1-locular at least apically, rarely 2-locular due to intrusion of a lamellate placenta into locular cavity. Fruit a 2-valved capsule, rarely a berry. Seeds many or rarely few, small; endosperm abundant [scant in saprophytic genera].

Pollination by insects.

Examples:

Exacum

Enicostema

Centaurium

Hoppea

Canscora

Swertia

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satish phadke

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Jul 26, 2008, 2:24:05 PM7/26/08

to indiantreepix Indian, wildflowerindia

I could gather very little information about this family.Most of the examples of this family are found in Himalayan region. Some are also found in Western ghats.The photograph attached in the above mail is most probably from Genus Swertia. I have observed some flowers of Exacum at Kas near Satara but don't have good photographs.I request the members to send their pictures as well as information of the plants of this beautiful family.
Satish

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Rajesh Sachdev

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Jul 27, 2008, 7:38:36 AM7/27/08

to satish phadke, indiantreepix Indian, wildflowerindia

Satish,
There is no pic attached. Could you attach one
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Regards
Rajesh Sachdev
Wild Mumbai Nature Conservation
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"The tiger cannot be preserved in isolation. It is at the apex of a large and complex biotope. Its habitat, threatened by human intrusion, commercial forestry, and cattle grazing, must first be made inviolate." - Mrs. Indira Gandhi

satish phadke

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Jul 27, 2008, 9:51:50 AM7/27/08

to Rajesh Sachdev, indiantreepix Indian, wildflowerindia

Swertia plant? species for ID
Satish

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Swertia densifolia1.jpg

J.M. Garg

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Jul 31, 2008, 11:28:11 PM7/31/08

to satish phadke, Rajesh Sachdev, indiantreepix Indian

Can it be Swertia decussata? See the link for a picture:http://www.swsbm.com/Images/S/Swertia_radiata-2.jpg

Here are plants from the Indiantreepix Database for this family:

Gentiana carinata	GENTIANACEAE		from Everest at altitude 4950m- Sarbendra ji- 11/7/07?.	Gentians.be - Plant Portraits - Gentiana carinata	Alpine flower from Everest at altitude 4950m - indiantreepix \| Google Groups
Gentiana carinata ?	GENTIANACEAE		near Badrinath at a hieght of around 9000 ft. in the month of June 08		Fwd: [India-nature-pixs] Flowers for ID - indiantreepix \| Google Groups
Gentiana ornata	GENTIANACEAE		from altitude of 4845m in Everest area- Sarbendra ji- 11/7/07?.	Gentian - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia	Alpine flower - indiantreepix \| Google Groups	http://www.srgc.org.uk/shows/newcastle/report.html
Canscora diffusa (syn. Gentiana diffusa)	Gentianaceae	Kilwar	Chilkagarh, Near Jhargram, Dist. Midnapore, West Bengal: 24/12/2007-Debasish ji. Flowering (26/1/08) at Vadap-Karjat near the scrub- Rajesh Sachdev.	Canscora diffusa in Flora of China @ efloras.org	ID required - indiantreepix \| Google Groups	PLANT FOR IDENTIFICATION -59 - indiantreepix \| Google Groups

For my Birds, Butterflies, Trees, Landscape pictures etc., visit http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/J.M.Garg

satish phadke

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Aug 1, 2008, 8:58:41 AM8/1/08

to J.M. Garg, Rajesh Sachdev, indiantreepix Indian

Thanks Gargji for adding the list from Indiantreepix.
I could find a picture of Canscora diffusa shot in Sinhgad valley in Nov 2007 Having beutiful flowers.(Kilwer in Marathi because of the club shaped three petalled flower)
Satish

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Canscora diffusa.jpg

satish phadke

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Aug 1, 2008, 10:43:00 AM8/1/08

to indiantreepix Indian, wildflowerindia

Regarding the species ID of Swertia...I don't have total field characters of the plant. The picture has been searched from my collection.Even I don't remember where I have shot it..either Kas lake plateau or Mahabaleshwar.
Acc. to Shrikant's book it appears to be Swertia densifolia.
Satish

On Sat, Jul 26, 2008 at 11:48 PM, satish phadke <phadke...@gmail.com> wrote:

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JM Garg

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Jun 4, 2017, 12:10:21 PM6/4/17

to efloraofindia, Satish Phadke

Swertia minor (Griseb.) Knobl. as per images herein.

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