Family · Asterids
Gentianaceae
Gentians
Herbs of temperate and montane regions with often vivid blue, funnel-shaped bitter-tasting flowers.
- Accepted species
- 1,903accepted names · Kew WCVP
- Genera
- 105accepted genera · Kew WCVP
- Origin
- ≈28 MaPaleogene · crown age, Jin & Qian 2022 megatree
- Centre of diversity
- Southern Americamost native species · WGSRPD
Open Gentianaceae in the treePan, zoom and dig into its genera in the interactive view.›
Plants you might know
- Gentiana
- Centaurium
- Swertia
- Exacum
Largest genera
Gentiana361 spp.
Gentianella315 spp.
Swertia169 spp.
Macrocarpaea121 spp.
Exacum76 spp.
Halenia67 spp.
Fagraea66 spp.
Sebaea50 spp.
Tripterospermum38 spp.
Lisianthius33 spp.
Symbolanthus31 spp.
Centaurium30 spp.
Zeltnera27 spp.
Lomatogonium26 spp.
Chironia25 spp.
Crawfurdia23 spp.
Exochaenium23 spp.
Sabatia21 spp.
Voyria21 spp.
Comastoma19 spp.
Faroa19 spp.
Gentianopsis18 spp.
Anthocleista16 spp.
Schultesia16 spp.
Canscora15 spp.
Frasera15 spp.
Kuepferia14 spp.
Metagentiana13 spp.
Tachia13 spp.
Utania12 spp.
Tachiadenus11 spp.
Curtia10 spp.
Potalia9 spp.
Helia8 spp.
Tapeinostemon8 spp.
Deianira7 spp.
Symphyllophyton7 spp.
Gyrandra6 spp.
Irlbachia6 spp.
Prepusa6 spp.
Chelonanthus5 spp.
Chorisepalum5 spp.
Coutoubea5 spp.
Cyrtophyllum5 spp.
Geniostemon5 spp.
Schenkia5 spp.
Blackstonia4 spp.
Phyllocyclus4 spp.
Picrophloeus4 spp.
Bartonia3 spp.
Bisgoeppertia3 spp.
Celiantha3 spp.
Cracosna3 spp.
Enicostema3 spp.
Jaeschkea3 spp.
Lomatogoniopsis3 spp.
Megacodon3 spp.
Neurotheca3 spp.
Ornichia3 spp.
Calolisianthus2 spp.
The 45 smaller genera are in the interactive tree.
Where it grows
- Southern America615
- Asia-Temperate512
- Asia-Tropical441
- Africa262
- Northern America187
- Europe104
- Australasia56
- Pacific7
- Antarctic2
Native species richness by botanical continent (WGSRPD level 1), from Kew WCVP.
Related families
Gentianaceae sits in the order Gentianales.