Klamath or elegant gentian

Herbs perennial, 0.5–5 dm, glabrous. Stems 2–10, terminal from caudex, decumbent to erect. Leaves cauline, ± evenly spaced; blade elliptic to orbic­ulate, 1–6 cm × 7–38 mm, apex obtuse to acute. Inflorescences solitary flowers or 2–5-flowered heads, sometimes with addi­tional flowers at 1–3 nodes. Flowers: calyx 17–35 mm, lobes lance-elliptic, 10–14(–20) mm, margins not ciliate; corolla deep blue, campanulate, open, 35–50 mm, lobes spreading, oblong-obovate to orbiculate, 7–14 mm, free portions of plicae divided nearly to base into 5–20 threadlike, often crisped segments; anthers distinct. Seeds winged.

Flowering late summer–fall. Wet mountain meadows; of conservation concern; 1200–2000 m; Calif., Oreg.

Gentiana plurisetosa is endemic to the Coast and Klamath ranges of northern California and southwestern Oregon. The name G. setigera has often been misapplied to this species.

Gentiana plurisetosa further differs from G. setigera in that the connate leaf bases at mid stem form a sheath around the stem 5 mm or longer. In all other Gentiana species in the flora area, the sheathing leaf bases are less than 5 mm.