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Centaurium ramosissimum

Interesting Facts

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Description

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Family Gentianaceae

Herbs [shrubs or small trees ], annual , biennial, or perennial . Stems ascending , erect , or twining . Leaves opposite, less often alternate or whorled , simple , base connate ; stipules absent. Inflorescences simple or complex cymes, sometimes reduced to sessile clusters , often in a thyrse or 1-flowered. Flowers bisexual , rarely unisexual , 4 or 5 (or 6-8) [-12]-merous. Calyx tubular , obconic, campanulate , or rotate, lobes joined at least basally. Corolla tubular, obconic, salverform , funnelform , campanulate, or rotate, rarely with basal spurs; lobes overlapping to right or rarely valvate in bud; plicae (extensions of the corolla tube between the lobes) present or absent. Stamens inserted on corolla tube or occasionally at sinus between corolla lobes, alternate with lobes; anthers basifixed or dorsifixed , 2-locular. Nectaries absent or attached to ovary base or corolla. Ovary usually 1-locular at least apically, rarely 2-locular due to intrusion of a lamellate placenta into locular cavity . Fruit a 2-valved capsule, rarely a berry. Seeds many or rarely few, small; endosperm abundant [scant in saprophytic genera].

About 80 genera and 700 species: worldwide; 20 genera and 419 species in China, of which two genera and 251 species are endemic.[1]

Genus Centaurium

Annuals . Stems erect , obscurely 4angled. Leaves opposite. Cymes pseudodichotomous , sometimes spicate . Flowers [4 or] 5merous. Calyx lobed nearly to base . Corolla salverform , lobes shorter than tube . Stamens inserted at throat of corolla tube; filaments filiform , erect at first, helically coiled later; anthers dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary partly 2-locular. Style linear ; stigma lobes orbicular . Capsules 2valved, many seeded. Seed coat alveolate .

40-50 species: worldwide except subsaharan Africa; two species in China.[2]

Taxonomy

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Notes

Publishing author : Druce Publication : Rep. Bot. Exch. Cl. Brit . Isles 1915, iv . 274 (1916)

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Centaurium

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 30 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

C. arizonicum (Arizona Centaury) · C. beyrichii (Mountain Pink) · C. beyrichii var. beyrichii (Quinineweed) · C. breviflorum (Shortflower Centaury) · C. calycosum (Arizona Centaury) · C. calycosum var. calycosum (Arizona Centaury) · C. confertum (Centaury) · C. davyi (Davy's Centaury) · C. erythraea (Bitter Herb) · C. erythraea erythraea (European Centaury) · C. erythraea var. capitatum (European Centaury) · C. exaltatum (Desert Centaury) · C. glanduliferum (Sticky Centaury) · C. littorale (Seaside Centaury) · C. littorale var. glomeratum (Seaside Centaury) · C. maryannum (Gypsum Centaury) · C. muehlenbergii (June Centaury) · C. multicaule (Many-Stem Centaury) · C. namophilum (Spring Loving Centaury) · C. nudicaule (Santa Catalina Centaurium) · C. pulchellum (Branched Centaury) · C. quitense (Britton's Centaury) · C. sebaeoides (Awiwi) · C. spicatum (Spiked Centaury) · C. tenuiflorum (Slender Centaury) · C. texense (Lady Bird's Centaury) · C. trichanthum (Alkali Centaury) · C. venustum (Canchalagua Centaury) · C. venustum venustum (Canchalagua) · C. venustum subsp. abramsii (Charming Centaury)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Ting-nung Ho & James S. Pringle "Gentianaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 16 Page 1. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. "Centaurium". in Flora of China Vol. 16 Page 4. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
Last Revised: 7/22/2012