Common Centaury

Description:

European centaury is an annual or biennial plant found all over Europe In damp meadows, forest clearings, and sandy soils. The stem is 6 to 18 inches high, quadrangular to hexagonal, hollow when older, and branched near the top. The basal leaves are ovate and grow in a rosette; the stem leaves are opposite, sessile, and ovate-oblong. The rose-red, funnel- shaped flowers grow in cymes from June to September.

Habitat:

Grassy places, open ground, woodland margins, scrub and mountain slopes.

Notes:

The European centaury is used as a medical herb in many parts of Europe.The herb, mainly prepared as tea, is thought to possess medical properties beneficial for patients with gastric and liver diseases.It is also a powerful antioxidant.