Fringed Gentian

This plant was a very pale lavendar rather than the typical deep purple. It is growing in the Chiwaukee Prairie, Kenosha County, Wisconsin, near Lake Michigan. This 400 acre prairie has been untouched by plow and was designated an U.S. National Natural Landmark in 1973. It is considered the best coastal and ridge swale remaining in Wisconsin. It has been preserved by a joint effort of the Nature Conservancy and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. (DSC00946)