English ( Early) Gentians in comparison

These tiny, beautiful gentians grow in the driest of conditions and are endemic to England where they are found in Dorset and a few other places. Once thought to be a form of the autumn gentian they have now been separated on genetic grounds. Having seen both species, these seem to have a different habitat preference to the autumn gentians which grow in taller damper grass, rather than on hard baked coastal gullies.