Centaurea scabiosa - Organic perennial

The large centaury (Centaurea scabiosa) is a perennial plant belonging to the composite family (Asteraceae). The species is on the Dutch Red List of plants as rare and moderately declined. The centaury broomrape (Orobanche elatior) parasitises on the plant.

The plant grows 30-120 cm high. The long, dark green leaves are pinnate to double pinnate.

The greater centaury blooms from June to October with pink to reddish purple, 1.5-2.5 cm large, single flowers. The inflorescence is a head with tubular flowers. There is a whorl of sterile, fringed flowers. The windshield leaves are, like those of the mountain centaury (Centaurea monatana), fringe-shaped and have no spine at the top.

The fruit is a nut and has an ant-like lobe. The fruit fluff is hygroscopic.

The plant occurs between the grass on slopes on fairly dry, calcareous soil.

BIO-NL-01