English
name:
marsh gentian
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Own
language name: Gentiane des marais
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Description:
perennial
plant,
30
- 80 cm
high, blue
flowers, 4 cm long, from july to october. The 4 or 5 petals are
usualy united into a trumpet, funnel or bell shape.
Distribution:
Belgique
:
campinien, flandrien, brabançon, mosan
and ardennais
districts.
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Habitat:
damp
moors, peaty meadows of Molinion.
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Report about the
reasons of the risk: very
threathened specie except in the Hautes Fagnes plateau. It is probably
disapered of west Brabant. The first problem is the invasion of damp meadows
and moors with molinie.
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Categoria IUCN: 2, EN, endangered
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Possible solutions: protection
and
preservation of the habitat
in the settings where the plant exists still.
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Culinary and/or medicinal properties:
Medicinal
properties :appetite, tonic and antipyretic but no effect on
respiration and lungs.
Flowers
are used in making of blue dyes.
Culinary
used : leaves and flowers may be cooked as vegetables but they are
bitter.The roots are used in desserts preparation.
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Appearance in
the Literature and Arts:
The name Gentiana comes from GENTIUS,
king of ancient Illyria and alleged discoverer of the plant medicinal
value.
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