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CENTAUREA

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Originally appearing in Volume V05, Page 669 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CENTAUREA , in See also:

botany, a genus of the natural See also:order Cornpositae, containing between four and five See also:hundred See also:species, and of wide See also:distribution, but with its See also:principal centre in the Mediterranean region. The See also:plants are herbs with entire or cut often spiny-toothed leaves, and ovoid or globose involucres surrounding a number of tubular, oblique or two-lipped florets, the See also:outer of which are usually larger and neuter, the inner bisexual. Four species are native in See also:Britain. C. See also:nigra is knapweed, See also:common in meadows and pastureland; C. Cyanus is the bluebottle or cornflower, a well-known cornfield See also:weed; C. Calcitrapa is See also:star-See also:thistle, a rare plant, found in dry See also:waste places in the See also:south of See also:England, and characterized by the See also:rose-See also:purple See also:flower-heads enveloped by involucral bracts which end in a See also:long, stiff spine. Besides cornflower, a few other species are See also:worth growing as See also:garden plants; they are readily grown in See also:ordinary See also:soil: C. See also:Cineraria, a See also:half-See also:hardy perennial, native of See also:Italy, is remarkable for its See also:white downy foliage; C. babylonica (See also:Levant) has large downy leaves and a tall spike of small yellow See also:flowers; C. dealbata (See also:Caucasus) is a See also:low-growing plant with larger rose-coloured heads; C. macrocephala (Caucasus) has large yellow heads; C. See also:montana (See also:Pyrenees) large handsome See also:blue heads; and C. ragusina (S.E. See also:Europe) beautiful See also:silver-haired leaves and yellow flowers.

End of Article: CENTAUREA

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