Centaurea (Acrolophus), (Cass.) Dobrocz.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1976, Flora Europaea. Volume 4. Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae), Cambridge University Press : 270

Subgen. Acrolophus (Cass.) Dobrocz. (Sect. Acrolophus (Cass.) DC. ; Acosta Adanson ). Annual to perennial herbs, rarely dwarf shrubs; stems usually erect and much-branched. Leaves usually pinnatisect with narrow segments. Capitula comparatively small. Bracts usually with prominent veins on the back. Appendages, if present, shortly decurrent at base, usually fimbriate, usually spiny at apex. Pappus usually present.

The species of this large subgenus all tend to have the same characteristic habit which enables them to be fairly readily recognized. The constituent species are, however, extremely difficult to separate, the diagnostic characters are slight and variable, and intermediates (often considered to be hybrids) are frequent. Identification is often only possible after many specimens of a population have been studied. Further experimental study of the subgenus is required.