Centaurea cyanus L. / Homotypic Synonyms: Cyanus segetum Hill, it is an annual herb, up to 20-100 cm, ± tomentose. Stem: generally, 1, erect, often branched distally, not winged. Leaf: thinly to densely tomentose, green to gray; proximal 3-10 cm, entire or few-lobed, generally 0 or withered at flower; distal cauline little reduced, linear, entire or minutely few-toothed. Inflorescence: heads radiant, few to many in open, ± panicle-like cluster, slender-peduncted; involucre 10-16 mm, ovoid or bell-shaped; main phyllaries green or purple, tip appendages fringed with slender, white to black teeth. Flower: 25-35, corolla generally blue (white to purple); sterile flower corolla 20-25 mm, 5-8-lobed, disk; disk flower corolla 10-15 mm. Fruit: 4-5 mm, straw-colored (± blue), finely short-hairy; pappus bristles 1-4 mm.
Leave a Reply