Taxonomy: Fam. Compositae// Genus: Centaurea// Species: Centaurea benedicta (L.) L.
Determined according to the botanical key provided in Flora Europaea Vol. 4 (Tutin et al., 1976) as Cnicus benedictus L. The accepted name in The Euro+Med PlantBase (source: Greuter, 2006+) is Centaurea benedicta (L.) L.
Lifeform: Annual; therophyte according to the Raunkiær system.
Distribution: Native from Central and South Europe to Xinjiang (China) and West Asia according to the distribution information provided by the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Habitat: Open habitats- hill pastures, edges of oak forests, rocky terrains, roadsides.
Flowering period: Late spring to early summer (MAY, JUN).
Locality: ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River (hills between Kochani and Orizari). Date: 04.06.2022.
Centaurea benedicta – habit. Osogovo, ridge between the gorges of “Kochanska” River and “Orizarska” River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – habit. Osogovo, ridge between the gorges of “Kochanska” River and “Orizarska” River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – habit. Osogovo, ridge between the gorges of “Kochanska” River and “Orizarska” River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – flowering stem with capitulum. Osogovo, ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – capitulum. Osogovo, ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – capitulum – florets and inner involucral bracts. Osogovo, ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – capitulum. Osogovo, ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – involucre of capitulum. Osogovo, ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – spent capitulum. Osogovo, ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – spent capitulum. Osogovo, ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – stem with leaves. Osogovo, ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – stem with leaves. Osogovo, ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – stem with leaves. Osogovo, ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – abaxial side of leaf. Osogovo, ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – abaxial side of leaf. Osogovo, ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – achenes. Scale in mm. Specimen from Osogovo, ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Centaurea benedicta – achenes. Scale in mm. Specimen from Osogovo, ridge between the Kochanska and Orizarska River, 04.06.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
References:
Centaurea benedicta. Greuter, W. (2006+): Compositae (pro parte majore). – In: Greuter, W. & Raab-Straube, E. von (ed.): Compositae. Euro+Med Plantbase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published on the Internet https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/58c7ee33-a8bd-4668-91b1-5a773a06478a [Accessed 05.11.2022].
do Amaral Franco, J. 1976. Cnicus L. In Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A. (eds.), Flora Europaea. Volume 4. Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 301–302.
