Centaurium arizonicum – Arizona Centaury

Centaurium arizonicum - Arizona Centaury

Centaurium arizonicum - Arizona Centaury

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Centaurium arizonicum

Synonyms: Centaurium calycosum var. arizonicum, Erythraea calycosa var. arizonica

Common Name: Arizona Centaury

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual, Biennial

Growth Habit: Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Riparian. It grows along streams and in moist, shady areas in the desert and at elevations up to 6000 feet (1829 m) in the mountains.

Flower Color: Pink

Flowering Season: Spring, Summer

Height: To 2 feet (61 cm) tall

Description: The attractive flowers are 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and have 5, pink, narrowly oval lobes, a white center, and bright yellow anthers. The leaves clasp the stems and are green, succulent, opposite, and lance-shaped. The stems are green and upright.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Gentianaceae – Gentian family
Genus: Centaurium Hill – centaury
Species: Centaurium arizonicum (A. Gray) A. Heller – Arizona centaury

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map