Flora-Fauna

Centaurium erythraea Rafn

(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, Pl. XV nº 4; 1983)

• Life-form & habit: Annual herb with a quadrangular, branched stem, 20–60 cm tall.

• Leaves: Basal rosette of oblong to ovate leaves; cauline leaves sessile, ovate-lanceolate.

• Inflorescence & flowers: All flowers of the dichotomies sessile and subtended by their bracts, forming compact fascicles.

• Calyx: Usually reaching just beyond the middle of the corolla tube (with some exceptions).

• Corolla: Pink, with ovate and obtuse lobes.

• Stigmas: With nearly circular lobes.

• Fruit: Capsule semi-biloculate.

• Phenology: Flowers from April to October.

• Habitat & elevation: Wooded and bushy habitats.

• Lebanese distribution:
  var. erythraea: Mi. Jabal Terbol, Souk el Gharb, Qrayé; Mm. Ehden; S. ‘Aïn Haramiyé.
  var. laxum: Ct. Saïda, Nahr Beyrouth, Nahr el-Kelb, Jall ed-Dib; Mi. Jamhour, Baabda, ‘Aley; S. Mi. Bhamra.
  var. sanguineum: Mi. Jouar near Khanchara; S. Mi. Massiaf.
  Unidentified variety: Mi. above Antélias, ‘Antoura, Bikfaya, ‘Aïn Zhalta; Mm. Hasroun, Dimane, Ehden, Cedars, above Bcharré; Met. Ta‘naïl; S. Lattaquié, Santa, N. of Massiaf; NLatt. Froulok, Kessab.

• Native range: Mediterranean basin and Western Asia