Nearctica - Eastern Wildflowers - Gentianaceae - Beautiful Centaury (Centaurium pulchellum)

Beautiful Centaury

(Centaurium pulchellum)

Color drawing: C. A. M. Lindman (1901-1905), Bilder ur Nordens Flora.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

Centaurium erythraea

The flower stalks of Umbellate Centaury are nearly absent to absent, not distinct and present as in Beautiful Centaury. The flowers of Umbellate Centaury are darker and have a distinct purple tint to them.

Beautiful Centaury (Centaurium pulchellum)

Alien: Native of Europe.

Identification: Flowers pink, tubular with 5 spreading petal lobes. Sepals long, forming a long tube containing the corolla. Flowers with flower stalks distinctly present, forming clusters. Leaves ovate, opposite in pairs. Plant 2 to 12 inches in height.

Distribution: Throughout most of eastern North America, but local in its occurrence.

Habitat: Beautiful Centaury is a weedy species found in empty lots, fields, and roadsides.

Flowering period: July to September.

Beautiful Centaury (Centaurium pulchellum)

Similar Species:

Umbellate Centaury (Centaurium erythraea)

Similar Species