Gentians are used by humans worldwide for a variety of purposes.  Their beauty has inspired authors, poets, artists, and gardeners for centuries.  Gentians also provide medicines, timber, and other useful products.

Gentians contain a unique combination of the phytochemicals seco-iridoids and xanthones.  The seco-iridoids are bitter, and a gentian is the source of the most bitter compound known.  No gentians are very poisonous, but due to their bitterness they are seldom eaten by animals.

The stemless gentian (Gentiana acaulis) is well-known as one of the flowers symbolizing the Alps, and its deep-blue, large trumpet-shaped flowers are commonly found adoring items from Switzerland, Austria, and Germany.  Other gentians that are often used in artwork and as decoration are other species of gentians (Gentiana), centauries (Centaurium), fringed gentians (Gentianopsis), pua kenikeni (Fagraea), Persian violet (Exacum), and prairie gentian or lisianthus (Eustoma).

Common names of gentians

Medicines: anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, digestives, for fevers

        Products containing gentians

        Gentian species with medicinal properties

Beverages: aperitifs, sodas, and digestives

Fragrance and skincare: Perfumes, cleaning lotions

Art: folk art, design, inspiration; stamps, coins, souvenirs, postcards, gentian comics

Literature and poetry, folklore:

Horticulture and floriculture: garden plants, cut flowers, and potted plants

Timber, wood: construction, rot-resistant (Fagraea)

Geographic places, companies, and other things named after gentians

Gentians as official symbols/logos or flowers for places or organizations

© Lena Struwe, 2004