WILDFLOWERS OF NEW MEXICO

Single to multiple 7–24-inch tall stems are topped with long flower stems (peduncles) from the leaf axils, each with a single blue and white striped flower. Note the pinwheel twisted petals  are delicately fringed with no leaves or leaf-like bracts directly beneath the flower. The petals fold up into an overlapping spiral at night or on cloudy days. This showy plant is common in northern mountain meadows and moist habitats.

FLOWERS: June–August. Funnel-shaped, solitary flowers 1 3/8–2-inches long (3.5–5.5 cm) bloom on tips of a 1–4-inch (3–10 cm) long stems (peduncles) from a mid-stem leaf axil, with no leaves or leaf-like bracts directly beneath the flower; 4 blue and white striped, petal-like lobes have pointed, finely-toothed edges.

LEAVES: Basal, opposite on stem. Stem leaves numerous, lance- to spatula-shaped, 3/4–2 3/4-inches (2–7 cm) long, smaller up the stem.

HABITAT: Moist gravelly, sandy, clay loam soils, wetlands, stream sides; conifer-aspen forests, subalpine meadows.

ELEVATION: 8,800–12,300 feet.

RANGE: CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY; Canada.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Another fringed gentian, G. barbellata, also in the mountains of northern NM, has a 2–6-inch tall stem with leafy bracts beneath solid blue flowers and tapering, elliptic petals lined with fine, fringe-like teeth.

NM COUNTIES: Northern NM mountains; Colfax,  Mora, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, Taos.