Gentiana crassicaulis

Gentiana crassicaulis is a perennial in the gentian family, Gentianaceae. It comes from western China, including Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang and Yunnan. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. This plant grows to about 1.3 feet [0.4 metres] tall. Its wild sites span several kinds of mountain habitat. These include damp grassland, alpine meadows, scrub and forest edges. It also grows in forests, waste ground and roadside slopes. Recorded elevations range from 6,890–14,764 feet [2,100–4,500 metres].

The flowers appear in August, and seeds ripen in September. Each flower has both male and female organs. Bumblebees and butterflies pollinate them. The species can produce plenty of fertile seed in cultivation. The supplied accounts give no species-level flower colour or shape. They also provide no detail on leaves, stems or fruit. Its documented garden use is in cultivated beds.

This gentian needs moist soil with good drainage. It accepts sandy, loamy and clay soils. It also tolerates mildly acid, neutral and mildly alkaline conditions. It can grow in light shade or full sun. The species account favours full sun with ample summer moisture underground. It describes the plant as easy to grow in most soils. In Britain, it grows better in the north and west. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 7–10. It also gives UK zone 8, without an RHS hardiness rating.

Seed offers a way to raise new plants. The propagation account favours sowing fresh seed in a cold frame. Choose a light position for the seed pots. Late winter and early spring sowings are also possible. Stored seed loses viability fast and may sprout unevenly. A cold treatment can help germination. The account describes a short moist period near 10°C first. This precedes five to six weeks at 0°C to −5°C. It favours clay pots because they drain more freely.

Plants For A Future records no known food uses. It lists medicinal uses for the root, harvested in autumn. These include use for arthritis, inflammation, fever, jaundice and hepatitis. Such records describe medicinal use, not proof of safe treatment. The source reports no known hazards or other uses. That does not establish safety for people or pets. It does not flag the species as weedy.