There are many gentians that would be classified as herbaceous perennials, with tall stems and whorls or pairs of flowers, usually trumpet- or bell-shaped. Often these are characteristically gentian blue, but in other cases they can be yellow, purple or white.

Gentiana cruciata has short, upright stems above the tuft of basal leaves, with whorls of the bright gentian blue flowers along the stems. From the southern Alps.