Family: Gentianaceae Early Gentian Gentianella amarella subsp. anglica (Gentianella anglica) Flowering time: April-June. Biennial. Native Grows in shallow calcareous soil on short chalk grassland, dunes and cliffs A short, erect plant (to 15cm tall) the purplish-mauve flowers with a 4-5 lobed tubular corolla, calyx lobes +/- equal in length. Basal leaves are lanceolate or narrowly ovate and stems have 1-3(-4) pairs of leaves. Now considered a sub-species of Autumn Gentian, G. amarella

Early Gentian, Gentianella anglica
Dancing Ledge, Dorset. May 2017