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.
Zeltnera beyrichii, commonly known as mountain pink, quinine weed or rock centaury, is an annual plant in the New World that blooms from late spring to early fall. Used as a medicinal plant by pioneers, the flowers were dried and used to reduce fevers.
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.
Centaurium erythraea is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common names common centaury and European centaury.
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 flowering plant in the family Gentianaceae. It is known by the common names king's scepter gentian or king's gentian.
Schenkia spicata is a species of annual herb in the family Gentianaceae. It has a very wide old world distribution, ranging from north Africa, through Europe and into Asia.
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 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.
Chenopodium hians is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae known by the common names hians goosefoot and gaping goosefoot. The Latin species name hians means "gaping".
Lindernia dubia is a species of flowering plant known by the common names yellowseed false pimpernel and moist bank pimpernel. It is a member of the "new" plant family Linderniaceae, and it is sometimes treated as a member of the families Scrophulariaceae and Plantaginaceae. It is native to much of the Americas from Canada to Chile, and it can be found on other continents as an introduced species. It grows in wet habitat, such as riverbanks, pond margins, and meadows. It is an annual herb growing a mostly erect, branching stem to exceed 30 centimeters in height. The oppositely arranged leaves vary in size and shape, from lance-shaped to oval, toothed or not, and under one to over three centimeters long. Flowers emerge from upper leaf axils. Each has a calyx of five narrow, linear sepals. The tubular corolla is up to a centimeter long, white in color with a blue or purple tint, and lipped at the mouth, the lower lip with three rounded lobes. The fruit is a capsule containing yellow seeds.
Phacelia davidsonii is a species of phacelia known by the English name Davidson's phacelia named by Asa Gray for the discoverer of this annual plant, Anstruther Davidson, a Scottish naturalist who emigrated from Scotland to Los Angeles, California, in the late nineteenth century. This native forb occurs in southern California and southern Nevada, where it grows in mountains and foothills in chaparral and woodland habitats. In California, this herb is found in the Southern Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges.
Streptanthus barbiger is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name bearded jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it is limited to the North Coast Ranges. It grows in woodlands and chaparral habitat, often on serpentine soils. It is an annual herb producing a branching stem up to about 80 centimeters in maximum height. Leaves near the base of the stem are lance-shaped to oval and pointed, usually with toothed edges, the blades measuring up to 7 centimeters long. Leaves higher on the stem may be longer but are narrower and have smooth edges. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a spherical to urn-shaped calyx of greenish yellow or purple sepals under a centimeter long. Whitish or purple-tinged petals up to a centimeter long emerge from the tip. The fruit is a long, flat, curving silique which may be 7 centimeters in length.
Streptanthus longisiliquus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name long-fruit jewelflower. It was first described to science in 2007. It is endemic to northern California, where it is known from Butte, Tehama, and Shasta Counties. It can be found in forest and woodland habitat in mountains and foothills. It is a short-lived perennial herb producing a few-branched stem up to 1.2 to 1.5 meters in maximum height. It is mostly hairless except for some light hairs on the inflorescences and sometimes the leaf petioles. The basal leaves have oval or spoon-shaped blades up to 10 centimeters long, usually with smooth edges. Leaves higher on the stem are oval or oblong and lack petioles, their bases often clasping the stem. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each flower has a bell-shaped calyx of sepals which yellow-green at the base and purplish at the tip, measuring under a centimeter in length. The petals emerging from the end are brownish or purplish with greenish bases. The fruit is a flattened, curving silique that can be quite long even for the genus, measuring up to 15 centimeters in length.
Frasera albicaulis is a species of flowering plant in the family Gentianaceae. It is known by the common name whitestem frasera. It is native to the northwestern United States, where it grows in open areas in mountain habitat. It is a perennial herb growing from a woody base surrounded by rosettes of leaves, its stem growing 10 to 70 centimeters tall. The leaves are green with white margins. The basal leaves are lance-shaped, up to 30 centimeters long, and borne on petioles. Leaves higher on the stem are smaller and narrower and are oppositely arranged. The inflorescence is a dense panicle atop the stem, sometimes interrupted into a series of clusters of flowers. Each flower has a calyx of four pointed sepals and a corolla of four pointed lobes each one half to one centimeter long. The corolla is pale greenish white to light blue to purple, often dotted, streaked, or veined with darker blue. There are four stamens tipped with large anthers and a central ovary.
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.
Zeltnera trichantha is a species of flowering plant in the family Gentianaceae. It is referred to by the common name alkali centaury. It is endemic to northern California.
