| Davy's Centaury |
| Zeltnera davyi |
| Family: Gentianaceae (Gentian) |
| Flowers — color: magenta, size: 1/2", type: 5 petals |
The Davy's Centaury flower has five or six oval magenta petals, 1/2" or less. The petal color changes to white as they overlap and bend to form the tubular throat of the flower. The pistil and five or six stamens having clumpy yellow anthers protrude from this throat. The white stigma at the end of the pistil appears much larger than its style, and cleft or bisected. The throat of the flower goes into the green calyx, about one inch long.
One or more flowers form on short stems at leaf nodes at the end of a stem.
Habit:
Davy's Centaury is an annual that grows to less than twelve inches high. Several green stems rise from the plant's base and may divide ito two stems at a leaf node. The narrow elliptical leaves come to a point and are less than an inch long. Oblong leaves grow on branching stems to 12 inches. Individuals grow in a tall conical fashion, sometimes in the hiking trail or form colorful colonies.