Asteraceae

Centaurea L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 909 (1753)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Temp. & Subtropical Old World.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual, biennial or perennial (sometimes suffrutescent) herbs, rarely shrubs
Morphology Stem
Stem and leaves often tomentose to scabrous to hirsute with multicellular hairs, sessile glands very frequent, rarely quite glabrous
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, sometimes nearly all radical, very variable, but (in Iraq) never spiny; often pinnatifid, pinnatisect or lyrate, sometimes decurrent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula nearly always heterogamous with neuter marginal and hermaphrodite central florets; involucre very variable in size and form, nearly globose or hemispherical to ovoid or fusiform; phyllaries multiseriate, imbricate, ± rigid and leathery, nearly always with a scarious, straw-textured or coriaceous appendage of extremely multifarious form, entire or fringed to ciliate, orbicular, lanceolate or triangular, often ending in a mucro or spine, sometimes the appendage consisting of a mere mucro or spine with or without lateral spinelets; receptacle with numerous smooth bristles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corollas pink, purple, blue, yellow or whitish; marginal florets neuter, sometimes with staminodes, funnel-shaped with 5–8 or more lobes (higher numbers found in corollas of radiant florets) or nearly filiform and very inconspicuous with 4–5 linear lobes; central florets hermaphrodite, tubular
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes usually glabrous and smooth when ripe, ± laterally compressed, apex rounded or truncate, hilum lateral near base, sometimes with an elaiosome; pappus multiseriate, with unequal scabrous, barbellate or plumose bristles, gradually elongated towards centre, innermost row usually shorter, or pappus sometimes absent.
Distribution
About 600 species mainly in the Mediterranean region, S W & C Asia, but extending to N Europe and tropical Africa, a few geographically and taxonomically isolated species in N & S America. Some species occur nearly worldwide as weeds.
Etymology
Centaurea (from Lat. centum, a hundred, aureus, golden).
[FIQ]

Compositae, G. V. Pope. Flora Zambesiaca 6:1. 1992

Morphology General Habit
Perennial or annual herbs (shrubs), hirsute-scabridulous or tomentose-araneose, often with sessile glands, rarely glabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate (or radical), entire, dentate or sometimes pinnatilobed (spiny), bases sometimes decurrent on the stem.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula solitary (or paniculate), heterogamous, radiant.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre
Involucre ovoid-subglobose, hemispheric or nearly cylindric, araneose or glabrous; phyllaries many-seriate, imbricate, coriaceous, with a ± patent pectinate or spinose appendage.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle densely setose, the setae smooth and twisted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets tubular, the outer series neuter sometimes with staminodes, the inner florets hermaphrodite; corollas whitish, purple, pink, blue or yellow, slender tubular below, dilated and deeply 5(8)-lobed above; anther bases sagittate, adjacent lobes connate into a short or long tail; style 2-branched, abruptly swollen below the branches with a ring of hairs at or below the swelling; the branches erect, long somewhat flat and ± connate, diverging only near the tips.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes oblong or obovoid, ± laterally compressed, apex rounded to truncate, glabrous when ripe, attachment-scar lateral-oblique, ± concave.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Pappus many-seriate of unequal barbellate (or plumose) scale-like setae, persistent (caducous or absent).
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Herbs or subshrubs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, usually dissected
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula solitary or corymbose, heterogamous and disciform or radiant, or homogamous; phyllaries multiseriate, with fimbriate appendages; receptacle densely setose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets with linear, sagittate anthers, with distal lanceolate appendage; style shortly bifid, abruptly swollen below the branches and with a ring of hairs at or below the swelling
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes somewhat compressed; pappus generally double.
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • 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

  • 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

  • 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