Zeltnera exaltata (Griseb.) G. Mans
western centaury (desert centaury; tall centaury)
Gentianaceae (Gentian family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
western centaury (desert centaury; tall centaury)
Gentianaceae (Gentian family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Annual herb from a short taproot; stems 1 to several, simple to branched, 5-35 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves few to several, not forming a tuft, soon deciduous, elliptic-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 5-25 mm long; stem leaves longer and narrower, pointed at the tip.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of a 1 to few flowers on stalks 1-4 cm long; corollas pale pink to nearly white, 9-19 mm long; calyces slender, 6-9 mm long and as long as or longer than the corolla tubes, deeply lobed; anthers 1.5-2.0 mm long and slightly twisted.
Fruits:
Capsules, slender, 12-18 mm long; seeds egg-shaped, honeycombed, pitted, brown.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Moist saline meadows in the steppe zone; rare in SC BC, known only from the Osoyoos area and Kamloops Lake; E to NB and S to UT, NV, AZ and CA.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Centaurium exaltatum (Griseb.) W. Wight ex Piper
Centaurium namophilum
Centaurium nuttallii (S. Watson) A. Heller
Cicendia exaltata Griseb.