Stiff gentian, another late bloomer

Stiff gentian (Gentianella quinquefolia) is another late bloomer. It is not as showy as aromatic aster, but it is still colorful and a desirable member of any prairie or savanna. In Wisconsin it is found almost exclusively in the southern part of the state, mainly in calcareous areas. When we started restoration, our native population was mostly restricted to the County F roadside, although there was also a small population in a tiny prairie remnant near the Rocky Overlook. Probably because of its need for calcareous sites, it has a high Coefficient of Conservatism of 7.

According to Cochrane and Ilitis, it is a "winter" annual, or perhaps a biennial. Thus, its continued presence at a site depends on seed production and new growth. Because of this, we are always careful when we collect seed to leave plenty behind. Most people would say you should not collect more than 30% of the population. Of course, you always miss a lot of seed, so it would be hard to eradicate it just by collecting.

The photo here is from some plants I found in the White Oak Savanna (Unit 12A), while doing a routine survey. These were almost certainly planted there from seeds collected along County F. According to my check list, this species is now present in most of our savanna areas, as well as our planted prairies. It is never widespread in any of these areas, but it is usually found in small clusters, such as shown in the photo here.

Because of the fairly large area of Prairie du Chien dolomite, we have substantial calcareous areas at Pleasant Valley Conservancy, providing good habitat for a number of relatively uncommon species, such as stiff gentian. However, buckthorn also flourishes in calcareous areas!