Flora of New Zealand Series

centaury

Glabrous, erect annual or biennial with usually simple stems to c. 50 cm high and rosette of basal lvs persisting until after flowering. Basal lvs 1-4 × 0.5-2.2 cm, elliptic to obovate, 3-5-veined; apex rounded to ± mucronate. Cauline lvs smaller and narrower than basal, 3-veined; apex obtuse to acute. Infl. a corymbiform cyme; fls usually dense, sessile or shortly pedicellate. Bracts linear to lanceolate, > calyx. Calyx 4-6 mm long; lobes narrow-linear. Corolla 10-14 mm long; tube narrow- cylindric, white, pink towards apex; lobes 5-7 × c. 2 mm, elliptic, patent, usually pink, rarely white, obtuse or subacute. Stamens < corolla lobes. Capsule 8-10 mm long, fusiform. Seeds alveolate, minute, c. 0.2 mm long.

N.; S.; St.: widespread and very common.

Europe 1867

Pastures, open scrub, banks and cuttings, dry shingle riverbeds, roadsides, to over 700 m in the Southern Alps.

FL (Sep)-Nov-Apr-(Jun).

This sp. is very variable in N.Z. but most specimens can be referred to the type subsp. It has also been known in N.Z. as C. australe, C. umbellatum, Erythraea australe and E. centaurium.