Marsh Gentians... Wondrous Variety

Just a quick blog post to prove I'm still alive! A couple of weeks ago I made what's become an annual pilgrimage to see Marsh Gentian in the Purbeck area of Dorset. Definitely one of my top ten wildflowers, I never tire of seeing them! This year's visit (well two visits actually) were extra special because I was taken to a site where the white form occurs. On the first visit there was a single flower which wasn't quite open but on a return visit a couple of weeks later not only was it open there were four others too. The variety of shades of blue of the flowers on the site were staggering. No two were the same.

Marsh Gentian - Gentiana pneumonanthe

 These were the darkest blue flowers. 

  

This (above) is the more common colour.

Many were much paler and often had a marbled appearance, which can be seen better in photos taken from above, looking down into the trumpet. It's very difficult to get a shot with the whole flower in focus but here are a couple of my better efforts which show the variation between individuals well.

They never fail to amaze me. It's like they're painted!

On our first visit this was the only (almost) white flower, tantalizingly close to being open!

A couple of weeks later several were open. 

Although not as showy as the 'normal' blue forms it is never the less very beautiful...

Exquisite!