Centaurium (centaury) is a genus of 20 species in the gentian family (Gentianaceae), tribe Chironieae, subtribe Chironiinae. The genus was named after the centaur Chiron, famed in Greek mythology for his skill in medicinal herbs. It is distributed across Europe and into Asia. Until 2004, Centaurium was given a much wider circumscription, comprising about 50 species ranging across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Australasia and the Pacific. However this circumscription was polyphyletic, so in 2004 the genus was split in four, being Centaurium sensu stricto, Zeltnera, Gyrandra and Schenkia. Species Centaurium barrelieri (Duf.) F. Q. & Rothm. Centaurium bianoris (Sennen) Sennen Centaurium calycosum (Buckley) Fernald Centaurium capense Broome Centaurium centaurioides (Roxb.) Rolla Rao & Hemadri Centaurium chloodes (Brot.) Samp. Centaurium davyi (Jeps.) Abrams Centaurium erythraea Rafn Centaurium exaltatum (Griseb.) W. Wight ex Piper Centaurium favargeri Zeltner Centaurium gypsicola (Boiss. & Reut.) Ronniger Centaurium littorale (D. Turner) Gilmour Centaurium mairei Zeltner Centaurium majus (Hoffmgg. & Link) Ronniger Centaurium malzacianum Maire Centaurium maritimum (L.) Fritch Centaurium pulchellum (Sw.) Druce Centaurium quadrifolium (L.) Centaurium scilloides (L. fil.) Samp. Centaurium serpentinicola A. Carlström Centaurium somedanum Lainz Centaurium suffruticosum (Griseb.) Ronniger Centaurium tenuiflorum (Hoffmgg. & Link) Fritsch Centaurium turcicum (Velen.) Ronnige See also Zeltnera muehlenbergii - formerly C. muehlenbergii Zeltnera namophila - formerly C. namophila Zeltnera venusta - formerly C. venustum References External links Gentian Research Network Gentianaceae genera Flora of Europe