Centaurea phrygia, L.

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 : 293-294

188. C. phrygia L. , Sp. Pl. 910 (1753).

Perennial. Stems 30-120 cm, erect, simple or branched, the branches thickened below the capitula. Leaves green to sparsely greyish-arachnoid-tomentose, undivided, lanceolate to ovate, entire or dentate, acute or acuminate; middle acute, rounded at the base or amplexicaul. Capitula usually solitary. Involucre 15-20 x 10-20 mm, ovoid to globose; appendages mostly covering bracts, those of the inner bracts ovate or orbicular, those of the middle bracts orbicular to lanceolate, pale brown to black, abruptly or gradually attenuate into a subulate-filiform, erect or recurved, plumosely pectinate-fimbriate acumen, the fimbriae 12-25 on each side, black, yellowish-brown or brown, 2-3 times as long as the width of the appendage. Florets pink to purple, the outer usually radiate. Achenes 3-4 mm; pappus 0-5-2 mm. Grassland and open woods. N., C.& E. Europe and N. part of Balkan peninsula. Al Au Bu Cz Da Fe Ge He Hu It Ju No Po Rm Rs (N, B, C, W, K, E) [Su].

1 Involucre c. 10 mm in diameter, ovoid (h) subsp. ratezatensis

1 Involucre (12-)14-18(-20) mm in diameter, globose or ovoid-globose

2 Leavesarachnoid-tomentose; stem simple,rarelywith2 -3 branches (i) subsp. rarauensis

2 Leavesgreen,glabrous,puberulentorsparselyarachnoidtomentose beneath; stem branched

3 Innerappendagesexserted,distinctlyexceedingthemiddle appendages

4 Appendages of middle bracts ovate or broadly lanceolate, gradually attenuate into an acumen (a) subsp. phrygia

4 Appendages of middle bracts broadly ovate or orbicular or triangular, abruptly attenuate into an acumen

5 Appendages of middle bracts triangular or broadly ovate,

straight (b) subsp. melanocalathia

5 Appendages of middle bracts orbicular, recurved (e) subsp. nigriceps

3 Inner involucral appendages not exserted, not exceeding the middle appendages

6 Involucre 14-18 mm in diameter; appendages of middle bracts broadly lanceolate or ovate, abruptly attenuate into a filiform acumen; upper leaves ovate-orbicular

7 Leaves green; involucre 17-18 mm in diameter; appendages broadly lanceolate, blackish-brown

(c) subsp. carpatica

7 Leaves arachnoid-hairy; involucre 14 mm in diameter;

appendages ovate, black (d) subsp. moesiaca

6 Involucre 12-20 mm in diameter; appendages of middle bracts triangular-lanceolate, gradually attenuate into a filiform acumen; upper leaves ovate or ovate-lanceolate

8 Appendages of middle bracts with the apex lanceolateacuminate, erect (g) subsp. abbreviata

8 Appendages of middle bracts with the apex subulate or filiform

9 Appendages of middle bracts brown, narrowly lanceolate, the apex long-subulate-acuminate

(f) subsp. pseudophrygia

9 Appendages of middle bracts black, ovate, abruptly attenuate into a filiform acumen (d) subsp. moesiaca