Gentianaceae

Centaurium Hill

First published in Brit. Herb.: 62 (1756)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Temp. Eurasia, NW. Mexico, Peru to S. South America.

Descriptions

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Morphology General Habit
Erect or diffuse annual or perennial herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite, sessile, sometimes forming a basal rosette
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence cymose, laxly to densely corymbose or spiciform
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers pink or yellow
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tubular, 5- or rarely 4-lobed, lobes keeled
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla tube short or elongated, limb 5- or rarely 4-lobed, lobes spreading
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5, rarely 4, inserted in the corolla tube
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers ± exserted, linear-oblong, becoming twisted
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 1-locular
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style filiform
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma 2-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule narrowly oblong, 2-valved
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, reticulate.
Note
Centaurium, so called, as Cantaurea, in Hippocrates after the Centaur, Chiron, reputed to have had great knowledge of herbs and, according to Pliny, to have discovered its medicinal properties. Centaury, Feverwort. No common name recorded in Iraq but the genus and others of the family have been referred to in Arabic literature as QANTARĪYA (Sharif, 1928), QANTARŶŪN (Bedevian,1936) and KANTARIYAN (Hooper & Field, 1937).
[FIQ]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs; stems angular
Morphology Leaves
Leaves sessile, the basal ones often forming rosettes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers usually in dichasial cymes, sometimes contracted into head- or spike-like inflorescences, or flowers rarely solitary
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx (4–)5-lobed; lobes narrow, keeled on the back, almost free or forming a short tube
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla (4–)5-lobed; tube cylindric. Stamens (4–)5; filaments filiform, inserted at apex of the corolla-tube; anthers exserted, without glands
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 1-celled; ovules numerous; style filiform, exserted, 2-branched at the apex, with capitate to oblong stigma-lobes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule oblong, 2-valved
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds minute,±oblong or subglobose.
Distribution
Genus of some 30 species, mainly in the northern hemisphere.
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Flora of Iraq

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

  • Flora of Somalia

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • 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

  • 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