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Centaurea cineraria

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Centaurea cineraria
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Centaurea
Species:
C. cineraria
Binomial name
Centaurea cineraria
Synonyms
  • Acosta cineraria (L.) Holub[1]
  • Centaurea candidissima Lam.[2]
  • Centaurea cinerea Lam.
  • Centaurea elegans Salisb.[3]
  • Centaurea cinerea subsp. cinerea

Centaurea cineraria, the velvet centaurea, also known as dusty miller and silver dust (though these latter two names may also apply to Jacobaea maritima and Silene coronaria), is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae endemic to southern Italy.[4][5] In natural settings, it grows on coastal cliffs, ranging from 0–350 m above sea level,[5] hence the plant's Italian name, fiordaliso delle scogliere (lit. "cliff cornflower").[5] Mature plants may reach 80 centimetres (31.5 in) in height.[4] The species produces purple flowers.[6][4][5]

Centaurea cineraria is taxonomically complicated, with several described subspecies and significant geographic variation.[4][7][8] Members of the C. cineraria group have variously been treated as full species, as subspecies, or simply as regional variations.[4][7][8][5]

In Horticulture

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Centaurea cineraria is commonly cultivated for its foliage.[9] Depending on climate, it can be grown as either an annual or as a perennial. In cultivation, this species prefers full sun and well-drained soil.[9]

Centaurea cineraria is sometimes referred to as Centaurea gymnocarpa within the horticultural trade, due to both taxonomic confusion and/or potential hybridization between C. cineraria and C. gymnocarpa in cultivation.[5] However, cultivated material seems to mostly consist of C. cineraria in a narrower sense, with some possible introgression from other members of the C. cineraria group (including C. gymnocarpa).[5] True C. gymnocarpa is a rare plant in the wild and likely does not exist in cultivation outside of conservation settings.[5][10] Despite past work that sometimes treated C. gymnocarpa as conspecific with C. cineraria, current work supports both taxa at the species level.[5][11][12][7]

Centaurea cineraria occasionally escapes from cultivation, but, at least in North America, this has not resulted in established exotic populations.[6] This species is, however, naturalized in New Zealand.[13][14]

In the UK Centaurea cineraria subsp. cineraria has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[15]

Because of similar leaf shape, leaf hairiness, and leaf color, there has been much confusion in the horticultural world between C. cineraria and the unrelated Jacobaea maritima (with Senecio cineraria being an old name for Jacobaea maritima).[5][16] Jacobaea maritima has similar foliage to C. cineraria (indeed, "cineraria" means "ash-gray colored").[5] Cultivars like ‘Silver Dust’, ‘Silver Lace’, and ‘Cirrus’ are sometimes mistakenly referred to as C. cineraria but these cultivars actually pertain to J. maritima.[5] The cultivar 'Colchester White' (named for the leaf color, not the flower color) does actually pertain to C. cineraria and is the most common cultivar of this species.[5] This confusion has also resulted in many images on the internet being mistakenly identified, resulting in identification of cultivated material challenging, especially without reproductive parts.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem. "Details for: Centaurea cineraria". Euro+Med PlantBase. Freie Universität Berlin. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  2. ^ "Centaurea cineraria". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  3. ^ All. Fl. Pedem. 1: 163 1785
  4. ^ a b c d e Flora Europaea: Volume 4: Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae). Cambridge University Press. 1976. p. 270. ISBN 978-0521087179.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Hind, Nicholas; Hashi, Mayumi; Brown, Andrew (March 2022). "1009. CENTAUREA CINERARIA: Compositae". Curtis's Botanical Magazine. 39 (1): 35–54. doi:10.1111/curt.12431. ISSN 1355-4905. S2CID 246185912.
  6. ^ a b "Centaurea in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  7. ^ a b c Domina, Gianniantonio; Greuter, Werner; Raimondo, Francesco M. (2017-07-17). "A taxonomic reassessment of the Centaurea busambarensis complex (Compositae, Cardueae), with description of a new species from the Egadi Islands (W Sicily)". Israel Journal of Plant Sciences. 64 (1–2): 48–56. doi:10.1080/07929978.2016.1257146 (inactive 31 January 2024). ISSN 0792-9978.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link)
  8. ^ a b Guarino, C.; Salerno, G.; Cipriani, G. (2013-12-01). "Effects of fragmentation phenomena on the genetic structure and gene flow in Centaurea cineraria group (Asteraceae) in the Mediterranean Basin". Plant Biosystems. 147 (4): 996–1005. doi:10.1080/11263504.2013.855276. ISSN 1126-3504. S2CID 83843344.
  9. ^ a b "Centaurea cineraria subsp. cineraria | dusty miller Bedding/RHS Gardening". www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  10. ^ "Centaurea gymnocarpa: Foggi, B." 2006-01-31. doi:10.2305/iucn.uk.2006.rlts.t61620a12524846.en. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. ^ "Centaurea gymnocarpa Moris & De Not. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  12. ^ "Centaurea cineraria L. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  13. ^ "Flora of New Zealand | Taxon Profile | Centaurea cineraria". www.nzflora.info. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  14. ^ "Centaurea cineraria". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  15. ^ "Centaurea cineraria subsp. cineraria". www.rhs.org. Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  16. ^ "Jacobaea maritima (L.) Pelser & Meijden | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  • Cela Renzoni G, Viegi L.. 1983. Centaurea cineraria s.l. (Asteraceae) in Italia: revisione citotassonomica.. Atti della Società Toscana di Scienze Naturali. Memorie serie B, 89: pp. 99–144. Società Toscana di Scienze Naturali, Pisa.
  • Ellis, Barbara W., "Taylor's Guide to Annuals, How to Select and Grow More Than 400 Annuals, Biennials, and Tender Perennials", 1999 Haughton Mifflin Company, New York, NY
  • Armitage, Allan M., "Armitage's Manual of Annuals, Biennials, and Half-Hardy Perennials", illustrated Asha Kays and Chris Johnson, 2001 Timber Press Inc., Singapore
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