SPECIES DESCRIPTION
CENTAUREA ARGENTEA subsp. MACROTHYSANA 

Family:- COMPOSITAE/Subgen. ACROLOPHUS/Sect. PANNOPHYLLUM

Common Name:- None

Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Centaurea (Gr) Centaur, Centauros. The centaur Chiron was cured of a
hoof wound with this plant.
                  Argentea (L) Silvery, silvered.
                  Macrothysana Meaning unknown

General description:- Whitish-densely woolly, grey-green perennial.

Stems:-
1) 10-45 cm, erect or ascending, with few, short branches.

Leaves:-
1) Lower, lyrate, with oblong segments.
2) Cauline, not appressed, yellow, tomentose.

Flowers:-
1) Capitula, solitary.
2) Involucre bracts, triangular to triangular-ovate, 1.4-3.5 mm long, bearing spines
    0.6-2 mm long.
3) Florets yellow.

Fruit:-
1) Achene, pappus about as long as the achene.

Key features:-
1) Cauline,  leaves not appressed, yellow; covered with short, dense, matted hairs.
2) Florets yellow.
3) Involucre bracts, triangular to triangular-ovate, 1.4-3.5 mm long, bearing spines
0.6-2 mm long.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Crevices and ledges of limestone clilfs, often in semi-shade in gorges,
rarely ungrazed coniferous woodland. 0-900(-1800) m.

Distribution:- Cretan endemic.to the Ziros mountains in the far south-east:

Flowering time:- Apr-July.

Photo by:- Steve Lenton