Centaurium

Centaurium (centaury) is a genus of 20 species in the gentian family (Gentianaceae), tribe Chironieae, subtribe Chironiinae. The genus was named after the centaur Chiron, famed in Greek mythology for his skill in medicinal herbs. It is distributed across Europe and Asia.

Until 2004, Centaurium was given a much wider circumscription, comprising about 50 species ranging across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and the Pacific. However this circumscription was polyphyletic, so in 2004 the genus was split into four, being Centaurium sensu stricto, Zeltnera, Gyrandra, and Schenkia.

Species

 * Centaurium barrelieri (Duf.) F. Q. & Rothm.
 * Centaurium bianoris (Sennen) Sennen
 * Centaurium calycosum (Buckley) Fernald
 * Centaurium capense Broome
 * Centaurium centaurioides (Roxb.) Rolla Rao & Hemadri
 * Centaurium chloodes (Brot.) Samp.
 * Centaurium davyi (Jeps.) Abrams
 * Centaurium erythraea Rafn
 * Centaurium exaltatum (Griseb.) W. Wight ex Piper
 * Centaurium favargeri Zeltner
 * Centaurium gypsicola (Boiss. & Reut.) Ronniger
 * Centaurium littorale (D. Turner) Gilmour
 * Centaurium mairei Zeltner
 * Centaurium majus (Hoffmgg. & Link) Ronniger
 * Centaurium malzacianum Maire
 * Centaurium maritimum (L.) Fritch
 * Centaurium pulchellum (Sw.) Druce
 * Centaurium quadrifolium (L.)
 * Centaurium scilloides (L. fil.) Samp.
 * Centaurium serpentinicola A. Carlström
 * Centaurium somedanum Lainz
 * Centaurium suffruticosum (Griseb.) Ronniger
 * Centaurium tenuiflorum (Hoffmgg. & Link) Fritsch
 * Centaurium turcicum (Velen.) Ronnige