Skye Flora

Common Centaury


Centaurium erythraea

 

Photo © Carl Farmer
(16 Sep 2005 Rotherham)
Flower c 13 mm diameter

Uncommon in dry ground near the sea.

Plants c 5-25 cm high.  Flower diameter c 9-15 mm

Skye ID: Flower has 5 pink petals at the end of a long tube, which is surrounded by a calyx divided more than halfway into 5 long narrow teeth; 5 stamens with conspicuous anthers; leaves opposite, unstalked; stems and leaves hairless.

Other features: Flowers bunched together in tight heads, but dwarf specimens with few flowers often found.  Stems ribbed.  Leaves in a basal rosette as well as up stem, 3-veined.  Anthers twist spirally after opening to release pollen.

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