CENTAURIUM PULCHELLUM

Family and Genus:- See- GENTIANACEAE/Sect. CENTAURIUM

Common Name:- Lesser centaury

Homotypic Synonyms:- Chironia centaurium var. pulchella, Chironia

pulchella. Erythraea pulchella, Erythraea ramosissima var. minima,

Erythraea ramosissima var. pulchella. Gentiana pulchella. Sabatia pulchella.

Meaning:- Centaurium (L) For the centaur, Chiron, who was said to have a wide

knowledge of herbs.

Pulchellum (L) Beautiful, pretty.

General description:- Annual 2-20 cm, without a basal leaf rosette.

Stem:-

1) 2-20 cm, without a basal leaf rosette.With 2-4 internodes, usually dichotomously

branched from below the middle; branches between erecto-patent.

Leaves:-

1) 0·2-1·5 x 0·1-1 cm, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acute, increasing in length

upwards, mostly 3-veined.

Flowers:-

1) 10-12 mm, pinkish-purple, rarely white, in a lax dichasial cyme, or solitary

(sometimes 4-merous in small, delicate, unbranched plants).

2) Calyx, nearly equalling the corolla-tube.

3) Corolla-lobes, 2-4 mm.

4) Stamens, inserted at the apex or in the upper 1/3.

Fruit:-

1) A septicidal capsule, valves remaining attached.

Key features:-

1) Annual usually without, rarely with a weak basal leaf-rosette.

2) Flowers, long-pedicellate, usually in a lax dichasial cyme.

3) Calyx, equalling or nearly equalling the corolla-tube.

4) Corolla-lobes, usually 2-4 mm.

5) Stem usually dichotomously branched in the lower part, with patent branches.

6) Cauline, internodes usually 2-4.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Seasonally damp patches in open dry shrubby vegetation, grassland, field

margins, olive groves and open woodland. 0-400(-1000) m.

Distribution:- Widespread across the Mediterranean and Europe. Somewhat

limited distribution across Crete.

Flowering time:- Mid-Apr to early July.

Photo by:- Steve Lenton