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Gentian
"Gentian" is a vernacular name that refers in French to several species of the Gentianaceae family (Gentianaceae), belonging to the genera Gentiana, Gentianella or Gentianopsis.

List of species called "gentian"

 * About thirty species are present in Europe. Among them:
 * Gentian acaule - Gentiana acaulis L.
 * Gentian from Germany - Gentianella germanica (Willd.) Börner
 * Bitter gentian - Gentianella amarella (L.) Börner
 * Gentian milkweed - Gentiana asclepiadea L.
 * Burser's Gentian - Gentiana burseri Lapeyr.
 * Field gentian - Gentianella campestris (L.) Börner
 * Ciliated gentian - Gentianopsis ciliata (L.) Ma
 * Gentian of Clusius - Gentiana clusii Perrier & Songeon
 * Gentian Croisette - Gentiana cruciata L.
 * Gentian of Koch - Gentiana kochiana Perrier & Songeone
 * Yellow gentian - Gentiana lutea L.
 * Snow Gentian - Gentiana nivalis L.
 * Marsh gentian - Gentiana pneumonanthe L.
 * Spotted gentian - Gentiana punctata L.
 * Purple gentian - Gentiana purpurea L.
 * Spring Gentian - Gentiana verna L.
 * Big gentian - see yellow gentian

Characteristics of gentians
Gentians belong primarily to the wild world, but some species are cultivated for their trumpet-shaped flowers, which are most often of an inimitable blue colour. Other bigger species have yellow or red flowers. Many gentians are protected in several regions of France: their picking and uprooting are prohibited.

Outside the flowering period, the large gentian can be confused with the veratre (Veratrum), the first having yellow flowers and the second, white flowers. The veratre is a violent poison. The arrangement of the leaves, however, distinguishes them: opposite for gentian, and alternating for the veratre.

Uses
Gentian merchant in Ax-les-Thermes. Photograph by Eugène Trutat, kept at the Muséum de Toulouse. It is used in the flavour industry. Gentian is also interesting in cosmetics.

Beverages
Detailed article: Gentian (spirit) The roots of the great gentian, macerated and/or distilled, are used in the manufacture of liqueurs or aperitifs, such as "Suze", "Avèze", "Salers", "Bonal", "Picon", "Fourche du Diable", in France. In Switzerland, it is present in the aperitif Bitter des Diablerets or in the Appenzeller Alpenbitter. "Genziana", a gentian liqueur, is also being prepared in Abruzzo, Italy.

The AVEZE distillery is located in the Auvergne region. Since 1929, it has been producing a real gentian from the infusion of Auvergne wild gentian roots.

The roots are also used for the preparation of eaux de vie in France (Michel distillery in Chapelle-des-Bois), Switzerland (Bonny du Risoux distillery in Les Charbonnières near Lac de Joux), Italy (Boroni distillery), Germany (Grassl distillery) and Austria. L'Antidote is an amber beer made from chestnuts and gentians.

À la Fût, a Quebec microbrewery, presented a hop-free beer, flavoured with gentian, at the 15th edition of the Mondial de la Bière de Montréal in 2008.

As well as the very recent Auvergnat Cola and Bougnat Cola which contain gentian in their formula.

In France, gentian is highlighted during the annual Gentian Festival in Picherande (Puy-de-Dôme), known as the "European Gentian Village", in Riom-ès-Montagnes (Cantal, Auvergne), and in Switzerland at the "Fête à la gentiane" in Les Breuleux in the Jura.

Therapeutic uses
The root of gentian has been used since Antiquity for its aperitif, digestive and tonic properties. It is used in phytotherapy as an external application and acts locally. In the past, uses could be medicinal, particularly as one of the many components of the theriac and diascordium of Western maritime pharmacopoeia in the 18th century.

Diverse
According to Pliny the Elder, the yellow gentian, and by extension the gentian, takes its name from Gentius, the last king of Illyria, who discovered its healing properties.

Gentian is also a revolutionary first name, present in the republican calendar, and quite rare. It only reappeared in 1945 (year in which it was given five times), then in 1959 (three remit). Since 1966, it has been given to five or six little girls per year. It is celebrated on August 6 (19 thermidor).