Centaurea nigrescens, Willd.

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 : 292

184. C. nigrescens Willd. , Sp. Pl. 3: 2288 (1803)

( C. rotundifolia (Bartl.) Hayek pro parte).

Perennial. Stems 40-100 cm, erect, with few erecto-patent branches. Leaves scabrid, green or tomentose; lower petiolate, oblong-lanceolate, entire to sinuately or lyrately lobed; upper ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, attenuate at the base, entire to pinnatifid. Capitula solitary, pedunculate. Involucre 12-14x 6-12 mm, ovoid-cylindrical; bracts laxly imbricate; appendages 1-1-5 mm, triangular, not covering bracts, blackish-brown, pectinate-fimbriate, the fimbriae 6-8 on each side, pale brown, scarcely longer than the width of the very narrow margin. Florets purple, the outer sometimes radiate. Achenes 3 mm; pappus absent or the inner achenes with a very short pappus. 2« = 44. • S.C. & E. Europe, extending southwards to S. Italy and N. Bulgaria. Au Bu *Cz Ga Ge He Hu It Ju Rm?Rs (W). 1 Leaves scabrid 2 Lower leaves lyrately lobed, the upper pinnatifid; involucre 6-7 mm in diameter, ovoid-cylindrical; appendages brown

(d) subsp. pinnatifida

2 All leaves entire or with few teeth; involucre 10-11 mm in diameter, ovoid-cylindrical (a) subsp. nigrescens

1 Leaves arachnoid-lanate or densely tomentose 3 Involucre 8-10 mm in diameter, ovoid-cylindrical; appendages triangular, erect (b) subsp. ramosa

3 Involucre narrowly cylindrical 4 Appendages triangular, erect, black (e) subsp. smolinensis

4 Appendages orbicular, recurved, brown (c) subsp. neapolitana