Asteraceae
Centaurea

Centaurea cyanus L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 911 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central & E. Medit. It is an annual and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used as a medicine and invertebrate food and has environmental uses.

Descriptions

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
albarina, ambarinas, azulejos, azurinas, botón de soltero
[UNAL]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Endémica y nativa en Colombia; Alt. 2400 - 3250 m.; Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
Morphology General Habit
Árbol
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

18.10% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Jones & Earle, 1966)

[SID]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. & Hind, D. J. N. (Eds). (2019). Flora of Iraq, Volume 6: Compositae.Kew Publishing

Morphology General Habit
Annual, 20–60 cm or more tall, sparingly or profusely branched from near base with 1- to several. headed ascending branches
Morphology Stem
Stem and leaves thinly floccose-tomentose, leaves glabrescent below Lower leaves usually withered at flowering-time, lyrate or lanceolate; median and upper leaves linear-lanceolate to nearly filiform, median usually with 1–3 long subulate teeth in basal part, upper entire
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre
Involucre 10–16 × 5–10 mm broad, oblong, funnel-shaped when fruiting; phyllaries multiseriate, greenish, innermost  often  violet- tinged, appendage a narrow light  brown  to  blackish  brown  border  divided  into  teeth 0.5–1 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets similar to those of C. depressa but marginal florets with narrower lobes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes 3–4 mm; pappus 2–3 mm, shorter than achene.
Distribution
Only found once in Iraq. As a weed in most of Europe, Siberia, C Asia, N America and elsewhere, in natural habitats in Italy, Greece, W Turkey, Caucasus.
Ecology
damp ground at roadside near stream overflow. Quite commonly cultivated in gardens as an ornamental in Iraq.
Vernacular
Cornflower or Blue-bottle (Eng.).
[FIQ]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 2620–2620 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Bogotá DC, Cundinamarca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Compositae, H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2005

Distribution
has been found once in Tanzania (McGregor 52 from Iherne, Iringa). This annual cornfield weed (cornflower) with bright blue marginal florets is native to Europe and the Middle East.
[FTEA]

Uses

Use
According to Wren (1950) it used to be considered as a medicinal plant, but is now only very occasionally used as a tonic and stimulant. It was formerly a very common weed in cereal fields in Britain; but crop spraying has largely eliminated it, and it is now rare.
[FIQ]

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Invertebrate Food
Used as invertebrate food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
Cornflower

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Seed Information Database

    • Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. (2019) Seed Information Database (SID). Version 7.1. Available from: http://data.kew.org/sid/ (September 2019)
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0