| Centaurium erythraea | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Gentianaceae |
| Genus: | Centaurium |
| Species: | C. erythraea |
| Binomial name | |
| Centaurium erythraea | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
List
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Centaurium erythraea is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common names common centaury and European centaury.
This is an erect biennial herb which reaches half a meter in height. It grows from a small basal rosette and bolts a leafy, erect stem which may branch. The triangular leaves are arranged oppositely on the stem and the erect inflorescences emerge from the stem and grow parallel to it, sometimes tangling with the foliage. Each inflorescence may contain many flowers. The petite flower is pinkish-lavender and about a centimeter across, flat-faced with yellow anthers. The fruit is a cylindrical capsule.
It flowers from June until September.
This centaury is a widespread plant of Europe (including Scotland, Sweden and Mediterranean countries [2] ) and parts of western Asia and northern Africa. It has also naturalised in parts of North America, [2] New Zealand, and eastern Australia, where it is an introduced species. It grows in fields and roadsides. [3]
It is also commonly known as “feverfoullie”, “gentian” or “centaury”. [2]
The European centaury is used as a medical herb in many parts of Europe. The herb, mainly prepared as tisane, is thought[ by whom? ] to possess medical properties beneficial for patients with gastric and liver diseases. [4]
C. erythraea contains phenolic acids, including ferulic and sinapic acids, as well as sterols (as brassicasterol and stigmasterol), secoiridoid and the glycosides, swertiamarin and sweroside. [2]
Centaurium (centaury) is a genus of 20 species in the gentian family (Gentianaceae), tribe Chironieae, subtribe Chironiinae. The genus was named after the centaur Chiron, famed in Greek mythology for his skill in medicinal herbs. It is distributed across Europe and Asia.
Plantago lanceolata is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. It is known by the common names ribwort plantain, narrowleaf plantain, English plantain, ribleaf, lamb's tongue, and buckhorn. It is a common weed on cultivated or disturbed land.
Gentiana lutea, the great yellow gentian, is a species of gentian native to the mountains of central and southern Europe.
Agrimonia eupatoria is a species of agrimony that is often referred to as common agrimony, church steeples or sticklewort.
Betonica officinalis, commonly known as common hedgenettle, betony, purple betony, wood betony, bishopwort, or bishop's wort, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa.
Schenkia sebaeoides, known as ʻĀwiwi in Hawaiian and lavaslope centaury in English, is a rare species of flowering plant. It is endemic to low shrublands in the state of Hawaiʻi in the United States. It is present on the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Lanai, Molokai, and Maui. At the time it was added to the endangered species list of the United States in 1991 it was known from seven populations for a total of fewer than 1000 individuals. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Zeltnera venusta is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common names California centaury, charming centaury and canchalagua. This centaury is native to much of California, southern Oregon, and northwest Baja California.
Gentiana sceptrum is a species of gentian known by the common names king's scepter gentian or king's gentian.
Zeltnera muehlenbergii is a species of annual herb commonly known as Monterey centaury and Muhlenberg's centaury. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California and Nevada, where it commonly grows in forests and other moist places. This is an annual herb growing thin, erect, branching stems to heights anywhere between 10 centimeters and one meter. Oval-shaped leaves are arranged oppositely on the stem and are up to 2 or 3 centimeters long. The branching inflorescence bears many flowers, each with small bracts at its base. The flower has five oval-shaped petallike lobes each a few millimeters long.
Schenkia australis is a species of annual herb in the Gentianaceae family. It is endemic to Australia.
Centaurium calycosum is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common name Arizona centaury. It is native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, where it grows in moist places in otherwise dry habitat, such as riverbanks. This is an erect biennial herb growing up to half a meter tall. The widely lance-shaped leaves appear in a basal rosette and along the slender stem, each up to 7 centimeters long. The inflorescence is an open array of flowers on short pedicels. Each flower opens into five pointed lobes, each about a centimeter long and dark rose pink in color.
Centaurium davyi is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common name Davy's centaury.
Centaurium exaltatum is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common names desert centaury and tall centaury. It is native to much of western North America from British Columbia to Arizona to Nebraska, where it grows in moist areas, generally with alkaline soils. This is an annual herb which is variable in appearance, especially in different habitat types. It grows up to about 35 centimeters in height, its slender stem with widely spaced pairs of oppositely arranged, pointed leaves 1 to 3 centimeters long. The inflorescence is an open array of flowers, each on a pedicel which may be several centimeters in length. The flower has generally four or five white or pink lobes, each somewhat rolled to appear narrow in shape.
Stenoptilia zophodactylus, also known as the dowdy plume, is a species of moth of the family Pterophoridae found worldwide. It was first described by Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel in 1840.
Persicaria amphibia is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by several common names, including longroot smartweed, water knotweed, water smartweed, and amphibious bistort. It is native to much of North America, Asia, Europe, and parts of Africa, and it grows elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed.
Sagina apetala is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names annual pearlwort and dwarf pearlwort. It is native to Europe and it is known elsewhere as an introduced species, including parts of North America. It grows in many types of disturbed habitat, such as cracks in the sidewalk. It is a petite annual herb producing a threadlike stem just a few centimeters long, spreading or growing erect. The plant is glandular and somewhat hairy. The leaves are linear in shape and not more than about a centimeter long. The inflorescence is a solitary flower borne on a threadlike pedicel. The flower has usually four sepals and generally no petals.
Silene gallica is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by several common names, including common catchfly, small-flowered catchfly, and windmill pink. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it can be found throughout much of the temperate world as a common roadside weed.
Zeltnera namatophila, the spring-loving centaury, is a rare species of flowering plant in the gentian family. It is endemic to the Amargosa Valley, in Nye County, southwestern Nevada.
Centaurium pulchellum is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common name lesser centaury, or slender centaury. It differs from Centaurium erythraea by lacking basal rosette of leaves and by having a developed peduncle below the flowers. It is often much smaller, less than ten centimetres. It is native to the southern temperate parts of Europe.
Zeltnera is a genus of flowering plants in the gentian family. It was erected in 2004 when the genus Centaurium was split. Genetic analysis revealed that Centaurium was polyphyletic, made up of plants that could be grouped into four clades. Each became a genus. Centaurium remained, but it is now limited to the Eurasian species. The Mexican species now belong to genus Gyrandra, and the Mediterranean and Australian plants are in genus Schenkia. The new name Zeltnera was given to this genus, which contains most of the North American centauries. There are about 25 species.
| Authority control databases: National |
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