Centaurea tchihatcheffii

About

Centaurea tchihatcheffii is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. The flowers are most attractive as the pale or dark pinkish-red marginal florets take on an iridescent shimmer in the sun and wind, hence the vernacular name Yanardöner, meaning ‘iridescent flower’. It flowers from late April to mid-June and in cultivation even earlier, e.g., March in Istanbul. The peak flowering period is mid-May and in earlier years it was sold in some quantity by street florists in Ankara. It is mainly bee-, bug- and beetle-pollinated. Ants play an important role in seed dispersal and the fully ripe fat achenes are a delight for pigeons which settle down to feed in large flocks. The species is of taxonomic interest as it has some rather unusual and unique features not existing in any other Centaurea. For example, the marginal florets are funnel-shaped with crenate margins. The anther-tube is provided with glands at the tips of the appendages.

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