| the plant family Gentianaceae, typified by herbaceous plants having simple opposite leaves, usually blue flowers with five united petals, and fruit in the form of a capsule, and including the closed gentian, fringed gentian, centaury, exacum, and marsh pink. |
| gentian family | |
noun | |
| chiefly herbaceous plants with showy flowers; some are cultivated as ornamentals [syn: Gentianaceae] |