Halenia species

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9) Gentiana

[Moderator note: Split from "Not Gentiana but Gentianella" thread.]

I do like G amarella too :) it often grows in similar places or even with another Gentian relative, Halenia- even more subtle in flower, but also an interesting and charming plant. I think the Gentianella includes more open places in its range than does the Halenia, they overlap in woodland edge/clearing kinds of habitat; Both grow naturally on my 6 acres, but not always in convenient spots,. so I hope to get some nice patches established once I have the right beds ready..

Here's one view of Halenia deflexa, I'll find more later- I don't suppose this is an important enough genus to bother with a new thread?

Comments

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Sun, 11/18/2012 - 2:34pm

The Ecuadorian species looks interesting- sometime when my internet connection is better I will have to study it a bit more- I'm curious how big those flowers are?
H deflexa is, again, a plant I like, but definitely in the category of 'don't let the macro photo mislead you'- those flowers are tiny (plants, as with Gentianella, can be a few inches to at least a foot) and not at all conspicuous in nature..

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Sun, 11/18/2012 - 2:39pm

Hey- we got a thread! ;) guess I really have to find more photos now ;) Since a moderator must be watching- did you ever get a chance to add an Ericaceae family board for the the Arctous/Arctostaphylos hread I made in the general section under family/genus?

Lori S.'s picture

Lori S. (not verified)

Sun, 11/18/2012 - 2:44pm

That's beyond my moderator super-powers, Cohan, but I'll ask Mark to do it.  :)

Edit:  Oh, I guess they did give me the keys to the place!!  :o   Viola!  There is now a board for Ericaceae.

John P. Weiser's picture

John P. Weiser

Mon, 11/19/2012 - 7:46am

This is a new one for me.
What are their cultural needs? Perennial or annual? Tropical versus Temperate? Were halenia once included with swertia?
I see there are only two species listed as native to the United States.

Mark McDonough's picture

Mark McDonough

Mon, 11/19/2012 - 8:06am

I don't know much about them, gentian relatives, with some species included in Swertia.  The bulk of the species are South American. Two species (and a couple varieties) occur in China, one with sizable blue flowers, the blooms doing a good imitation of Epimedium blooms:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=114483

Halenia elliptica, there is also a var. grandiflora with flowers nearly twice as large.
http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=89340&flora_id=800
http://www.licp.cas.cn/tiannm/kjcx/201108/t20110809_3320888.html

These can be both annuals and perennials.  As with Swertia, they prefer moistu locations, often found along streams and in moist meadows.

More photos:
http://gentian.rutgers.edu/genera/genHaleimg.htm

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Mon, 11/19/2012 - 10:47am
McDonough wrote:

Here's a nice blue Halenia from China:

http://trillium.no/

Halenia corniculata - ShikaShan, Zhongdian, Yunnan, 3400m  (blue)
http://trillium.no/halenia1.jpg

Wow! that almost looks like an Aquilegia!
The other Chinese species look pretty nice too!

John, our native species is a woodland/woodland edge species, growing from deep shade to clearings etc; I haven't thought that much about habitat before, but I think they don't grow in fully exposed places- though I know for sure the Gentianella amarella they often grow with does also grow in open grassy places, so I wont say for sure not... likewise I think their spots are not really dry though any of our wooded areas (outside actual  wet places) can be dry for part of the season depending on the year..

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Tue, 11/20/2012 - 11:03am

Not a great shot, but it shows a somewhat moist and quite shady forest habitat common but not exclusive for H deflexa; these plants are at the small end of the range of flowering size, just a few inches..

For the sharp eyed, leaves of Linnaea, Mitella nuda and a Vaccinium sp can be seen also

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Wed, 11/21/2012 - 10:56am
Hoy wrote:

McDonough wrote:

Here's a nice blue Halenia from China:

http://trillium.no/

Halenia corniculata - ShikaShan, Zhongdian, Yunnan, 3400m  (blue)
http://trillium.no/halenia1.jpg

Have to buy some seed from Bjørnar next fall I think!

Have you ever looked for seed of H deflexa, Cohan?

Who is Bjørnar? Is the trillium.no his site? I didn't realise there were seed sales... (btw, that ø is not on my list of special alt characters that I could find, so I had to copy and paste :(
I just backtracked to his seedlist- though I guess the new one for the year is not up yet- interesting! Even more interesting than I realised at first- nice to see a list with an emphasis on woodlanders :) Epiphytic Polygonatum!!

I have collected seed of H deflexa in the past (might still have some old seed, don't know if it remains viable, very fine seed) not too hard to find here, the only trick is being sure whether it is H deflexa or Gentianella amarella since the dried plants are not terribly different..

Lori S.'s picture

Lori S. (not verified)

Wed, 11/21/2012 - 6:32pm
cohan wrote:

For the sharp eyed, leaves of Linnaea, Mitella nuda and a Vaccinium sp can be seen also

And a strawberry?  ;D

Halenia deflexa is a new one for me - thanks for the introduction to it, Cohan.  I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Wed, 11/21/2012 - 10:39pm

I was trying to decide what that big leaf to the left was..lol-- I was thinking Rosaceae- but wasn't sure I had enough to go on (or missed the vital cues?) likely players in this area are Rubus (idaeus or pedata) or Fragaria as Lori mentions (seems big for that, but they can have large leaves at times, plus it could be an issue of camera angle).. the coarseness of the toothing might suggest Fragaria, but then there is the thorny stem visible just past the leaf...lol could even be a Ribes, I suppose...