Chiltern gentian

A few of the Chiltern gentians at the nature reserve are finally in full bloom. This striking gentian, Gentianella germanica, is only native in this country at a scattering of sites along the Chiltern hills. A few years ago this colony was very strong, but it has inexplicably started to decline over the last couple of years. This year, it looks like there might be a further decline due to the drought conditions in the spring and early summer, but it will be fantastic if I'm proved wrong by the end of the month when I will be carrying out a detailed survey.