Unique plants from Romania (Part 4)

Centaurea pinnatifida Schur.

* Kingdom: Plantae
* Phylum: Spermatophyta
* Class: Dicotyledones
* Order: Asterales
* Genus: Asteraceae
* Genus: Centaurea
* Species: Centaurea pinnatifida Schur.


Is a rare, endemic Romanian plant (listed in the IUCN Red List of threatened plants), that grows in three restricted areas in the Carpathians Mountains. The stems are 30 to 60 cm high, often woody at base, and the branches are leafless for some distance below capitula. The florets are bluish-violet, with ragged petals.


In Romania, it is named vineţea or albăstrea, but this name is used also for Centaurea nigra and Centaurea Cyanus, plants very similar as aspect.