Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-30
THE GENTIAN.
Fringed and Closed, Falls Most Beau
tiful Flower.

From the Providence Journal
Men and women brought up IN the coun-
try often stop to gaze at the two women
with their hands full OF purple flowers who
for several days have taken their stand on
the steps of the Arcade. The appeal to the
passer-by is wholly of the flowers. Tor the~s
splashes of dark blue are gentians' thc
frfnged and closed. perhaps the best loved
Of the autumn blossoms.
II flowers should claim precedence by rea-
son Of ancient ancestry. the gentian 1ahily
(gentianaceae). with its $50 species. would
rank among the first Of natures hora- VI
the whole number scattered over the race
Of the earth in ether s p n heme not SIM
gle Individual Of its 4oo species contains
poisonous properties. ,
The yellow gentian Is an attractive plant.
often cultivated for its use and beauty. Is
an exotic imported, but now frequently
found in the fields and hllly lands or the
middle and western states. Its root Is .he
official portion used by pharmacists Inc
root of the fringed or the closed gentian IN
donestic use Is given In decoction or fnfu-
sion as general tonic in enfeebled condi-
lions.
Gentian. the King of Illyria. Is reputed to
he the first to proclaim publicly the
medicinal virtues OF the plant, hence It's
generic name However this may be. true
or false, gentian and Its compounds STAND
among the first. 'the world over, as one
of the most reliable vegetable tonics ana
simuiants, and febrifuge. anusep,lc
and gerrnicide 1t has few equals among the
vegetable remedial agents In materia
medica.
little more may be said relative to the
closed or fringed gentian save legen1 OF a
slight to a fairy queen who was denied
shelter within It's petals because OF ,ne ia.e e
ness of the hour in returning from her noe
t,lrnal fiirtations Her lady ship avenged the
slight by commanding the petals or the
prldish flower to be forever closed 10 the
sunlight, granting full favors. however' 70
her less prudish sister as reward Tor her
PA PASSING to. fact from fancy. the blue
frinaed Eentian stands well among tho Iaii
dowers TOR delicacy of texture, color, pose
and form; sharing the fate OF most beau-
Ties by losing its charm as 1t withers ana
droops without odor or color, II seems
rhriveled wreck OF Its former sell. wn.Ie
it, sister. the closed maintains It's form
and shade, of dark blue passing Into q
dark cinnamon brown. with Its petals closed
to the last to sunlight. bee. bird or butter
fly or any living thing.
he the favorite with school children, ooth
the fringed and closed varieties are gain
cred In large clusters and contributed 70
the favorite teacher as a iove .oa1 a., ,,,aot
Of eentians Is as unsatisfactory OF results
as :'raking after In the harvest neId.
The fringed variety 10 not TO De conIouhu-
ed with the blue gentian, which is tiny
labiate, blooming in July. with the genera
asnect of oennyroyal. The first of the gen
tians may be found late in August. and by
belated individuals as late as December IN
favorable seasons, pure white closed or
fringed specimen may now and tnen pc
fo,,pd hut Ia not common In passing the
r eenia s' the gorgeous goldenrods and
ssters and the cardinals rich carmine
plumes are out of mind. forming as they
10 rich setting to the brilliant hues or
she ,nanIes birches and beeches, on the
hiilsidesNthe whole a matches picture
fashioned by the master hand Of the Great
Artist.