Gentianopsis crinita
Gentianopsis crinita is a biennial herbaceous species, native to eastern USA and eastern Canada. Fringed gentian flowers open on sunny days, but generally remain closed on cloudy days. Individual plants live for only one or two years; the plant is noted as having become relatively rare.
In autumn, solitary, iridescent blue flowers develop on naked peduncles approximately in height. Each finely fringed petal is in length. The outermost flower parts are two pairs of green sepals, strongly winged and flared on the basal margins, the outer pair much larger than the inner.
It is closely related to Gentianopsis virgata Holub, which is sometimes lumped within a broadly transcribed G. crinita.
According to ancient Roman naturalist Pliny, King Gentius of Illyria found that the roots were useful as an emetic, cathartic, and tonic. From him, the plant's name is derived.