Common Names
Sampson’s snakeroot, marsh gentian, straw-colored gentian, striped gentian.

Description
A perennial with several smooth ascending stems. Leaves are oblanceolate. A cluster of crowded, tubular, greenish-white to purplish-green flowers is found at top of the plant.

Flowering Period
August to October.

Habitat
Meadows, brooksides, slopes, calcareous rocks, woods, and pinelands.

Harvest
Root in fall.

Uses
The rhizome has been used to treat indigestion, gout, and rheumatism; and it has also been used as an antiemetic. Because of its bitter flavor, probably the most useful application of this plant is as a tonic and astringent. In Appalachia, a root tea is drunk as a tonic, and a piece of the root is sometimes worn or carried to increase one’s physical powers.