Centaurea

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Centaurea >

Read about Centaurea in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Centaurea (a Centaur, famous for healing). Compositae. Centaury. Dusty Miller. Bachelor's button. Cornflower. Knapweed. Annuals or hardy and half-hardy perennials with alternate leaves, useful for bedding, vases; baskets and pots, and for borders and edgings; species many and various. Involucre ovoid or globose, stiff and hard, sometimes prickly: receptacle bristly: marginal florets usually sterile and elongated, making the head look as if rayed. Differs from Cnicus in having the achenes obliquely attached by one side of the base or more laterally -Species about 500, much confused, mostly in Eu., Asia and N. Afr., 1 in. N. Amer., 3 or 4 in Chile. Several Old World species have become weeds in this country. J.H. 43:76. The species are of simple cult., coming readily from seeds. Many of the perennial species make excellent border plants, and their blue and purple heads are welcome additions to the horde of yellow-flowering composites. C. alpine, Linn. Lvs. downy beneath, prickly: fl.-heads yellow; scales of involucres ovate, obtuse: hardy herb, 3 ft., from Eu., sometimes seen in collections.―C. erophora, Linn. A low plant with a spiny calyx and silvery lvs., is cult. In England. Not known in Amer. ―C. pulcherrima, Willd. (Aetheopappus pulcherrimus, Hort.). A stout hardy perennial about 2½ ft. with brilliant rose fls. Is known in the trade. ―C. rigidifolia, Hort. Stout perennial, 2½ ft., with crimson heads is apparently C. orientalis. Linn. — Not much known in U.S. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

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External links

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