Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to northwest California.
Habitat: Bogs and wet places, especially along the coast, at low elevations.
Flowers: July-September
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Bumblebees
Tufted perennial herbs from thick, fleshy roots, the 1-many stems 2-12 dm. tall.
Leaves opposite, 10-15 pairs, the lower 2-5 reduced to short bracts that are attached to each other at the base; upper leaves oblong-lanceolate, 3-6 cm. long and 7-15 mm. broad, gradually reduced downward.
Flowers several, mostly clustered at the top of the stem on short pedicels, some in the leaf axils on bractless pedicels 3-20 mm. long; calyx about half as long as the corolla, bluish tinged, the tube 8-14 mm. long, the 5 lobes narrowly to broadly lanceolate, shorter that the tube to twice as long; corolla bluish with greenish streaks or mottling, the 5 lobes oval, 6-9 mm. long, with short, rounded, entire projections in the sinuses; the 5 stamens attached to the corolla tube for about 1/3 the length of the corolla, the attached portioned broadly winged, the free portion 10-15 mm. long; ovary superior, with a stipe.
Capsule about equaling the dried, persistent corolla.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Gentiana sceptrum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Gentiana sceptrum checklist entry
OregonFlora: Gentiana sceptrum information
E-Flora BC: Gentiana sceptrum atlas page
CalPhotos: Gentiana sceptrum photos