Centaury

Description:

Herbaceous perennial plant. High up to 30 cm. Flowering April- July. It is endemic to the Balkans. Cyanus napulifer presents a rich morphological ( (e.g. blue/pink/white flowers, presence/absence of long creeping rhizomes) and ecological (low/high altitudes, calcareous/granite substrate) variation. It has narrow stem leaves with glandular hairs on their upper surface, which limit the evaporation of water from the plant and allow it to survive easier in pastures, meadows, rocky places and other sun-lit open spaces.

Habitat:

Spotted in a dry rocky place of a meadow at mount Chortiatis (altitude 1200m), Thessaloniki, Greece.

Notes:

Synonym: Centaurea napulifera. Greek common name: Κενταύρια