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February 6, 2008 : Centaurea cyanoides
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Keywords: Asteraceae | Centaurea cyanoides J. Berggr. & Wahlenb. | Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, Israel
Thanks one more time to Jackie for sharing a photograph and write-up from her travels to Israel. One last reminder that Jackie is speaking next Monday on Black Irises and Red Tulips - Wildflowers of Israel and Jordan. If I can get organized, I may set Jackie up with the laptop that records presentations and accompanying audio for the web, but no guarantee!
Syrian cornflower is a low growing, annual groundcover native to Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. The entire plant may reach 10-25cm in height, and the foliage is smooth and silver in colour.
Although Centaurea cyanoides looks similar to the European cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), the Syrian cornflower is much smaller and is only found in the Middle East. The stunning blue inflorcence is produced in spring and early summer, and is only 2-3 cm wide. See the Flora of Israel website for more photographs of Centaurea cyanoides.
Like other members of the Asteraceae (the aster family), the flower head is actually made up of a cluster of tiny flowers called florets, and they are collectively referred to as an inflorescence. These florets are tubular in shape; the inner florets (called disk florets) are fertile, the larger outer florets (or ray florets) are sterile and showy to attract pollinators. The inflorescence sits in a cup-like structure called an involucre, made up of dark, bristly bracts (modified leaves). Ray florets, disk florets, and bristly toothed bracts are features shared by many Centaurea species. For a closer look at these interesting flower parts, Microscopy UK provides some lovely and extremely detailed photos of another member of this genus, Centaurea jacea.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at February 6, 2008 9:26 AM
Comments
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Posted by: Beverley at February 6, 2008 10:10 AM
Lovely. I once read a description of the florets as looking like jets from a burner on a gas stove.
Thanks for the link to Microscopy UK. A site to get lost in!
Posted by: Barbara Lamb at February 6, 2008 10:21 AM
Odd, isn’t it, how much beauty can be foud in such a small thing, and these flowers are not big, by any means. I would love to have a patch about 3 feet by 3 feet of these, and all along my fence some sweet peas, and another area about 6 feet by 6 feet of Shasta Daisies. Besides the roses I already have. Thanks for this lovely flower.
Posted by: Sue in Bremerton WA at February 6, 2008 12:12 PM
the first picture makes me think of some kind of extra-terrestrial creature in a funny movie. Excellent!
Posted by: pierre at February 6, 2008 1:20 PM
Another lovely flower, now why is it that us humans have this thing for the sexual organs of plants?
Posted by: scytale at February 6, 2008 3:37 PM
Fabulous! The cornflower is my absolute favorite. The color is so unique.
Posted by: Tina Trivett at February 6, 2008 4:08 PM
Absolutely beautiful. Many thanks.
Posted by: Patricia at February 6, 2008 7:42 PM
> Another lovely flower, now why is it that us humans have this
> thing for the sexual organs of plants?
>
> Posted by: scytale at February 6, 2008 03:37 PM
We are meant to: It's because of our rods and cones (in our eyes) - we see the brilliant colors so well.
Posted by: Peggy at February 7, 2008 4:52 PM
What wonderful glowing pictures. Even the tiny spiderweb in the full-face view is as clear and sharp as, uh, crystal? I would love to see a field of it. The 'ground cover' description makes it sound like one of our Californian seasonal-aspect flowers that can sprinkle a whole vista with yellow or blue.
Posted by: Equisetum 
at February 8, 2008 7:16 PM
The colours in this flower are beautiful. I really have enjoyed all the information also.
Thank you,
Margaret-Rae
Posted by: Margaret-Rae Davis at February 9, 2008 4:26 PM
This is GORGEOUS (mouth drops open!!).
Posted by: Michelle at February 14, 2009 1:09 AM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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Botany Photo of the Day is a project of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, located in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. UBC BGCPR is a department of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems within The University of British Columbia.
Centaurea, sen-[or ken-] taw-re-a; from the classical name of a plant [kentaurion or centaureum] in the fables of ancient Greece, which is said to have healed a wound in the foot of Chiron, one of the Centaurs. Plant Names Simplified, Johnson and Smith