Golden gentian, bleg ensian

Gentiana aurea Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 951. 1759; Aloitis aurea (Linnaeus) Á. Löve & D. Löve; Arctogentia aurea (Linnaeus) Á. Löve

Herbs annual, 2–30 cm. Stems decumbent to erect, usually with branches from near base. Leaves: larger leaves ± petiolate; basal blades elliptic to spatulate, 3–21 × 1–10 mm; cauline blades elliptic to ovate, 9–26 × 4–12(–15) mm. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, dichasial cymes, proximally ± enveloped by subtending leaves; pedicels 0–13 mm. Flowers (4- or)5-merous; calyx 3–8 mm, lobes narrowly obovate to linear-oblong, 2.5–6 mm, 2 outer lobes usually oblong to narrowly obovate, larger than the linear inner lobes; corolla pale yellow, occasionally suffused with pale violet-blue, tubular to narrowly funnelform, 6–11 mm, lobes erect or nearly so, ovate-oblong, 2–4 mm, apex mucronate, without adaxial scales or fringes; ovary subsessile. 2n = 18.

Flowering late summer. Tundra meadows; 0–300 m; Greenland; Eurasia.

In the flora area, Gentianella aurea occurs only in Greenland. It is widely distributed in Eurasia, where its range extends to much higher elevations.