Centaurium pulchellum

Lesser centaury, Lesser Centaury

Family: Gentianaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Lesser centaury is a naturalized annual found in the San Joaquin Valley in moist fields and roadsides at elevations around 60 meters. Flowering in late summer, this plant produces small white to pink flowers with petals 2 to 5 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems 10 to 25 centimeters tall, it has an upright and delicate form. Its leaves are distinctive, with basal leaves 5 to 25 millimeters long and obovate to oblong in shape, while upper stem leaves become progressively narrower and more lanceolate. The plant forms an open, loose inflorescence with slender pedicels that create a light, airy appearance.

Habitat: Moist fields, roadsides

Elevation: +- 60 m.

Bioregions: SnJV

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.