1. Centaurea benedicta (Linnaeus) Linnaeus, Sp. Pl., ed. 2. 2: 1296. 1763.
藏掖花 cang ye hua
Cnicus benedictus Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 826. 1753.
Herbs 5-50 cm tall, annual. Stem erect, usually divaricately branched; stem and branches densely setiferous. Leaves setiferous pubescent with multicellular hairs, pinnatilobed or pinnatifid, prominently reticulate-veined especially on abaxial side, margin spinose to spinosely toothed. Basal leaves petiolate; leaf blade oblong, ca. 30 × 8 cm, runcinate to pinnatifid, often withered at anthesis. Lower and middle stem leaves petiolate; petiole winged; leaf blade narrowly elliptic, decreasing in size upward, pinnatilobed or pinnatipartite, base attenuate; lobes triangular, narrowly elliptic-triangular, or narrowly elliptic. Upper stem leaves sessile, base amplexicaul and shortly decurrent onto stem. Uppermost leaves exceeding capitula. Capitula few to several, rarely 1, solitary at end of stem and branches, concealed by subtending leaves. Involucre ovoid, ca. 2 cm in diam. Phyllaries imbricate, in 4 or 5 rows; outer phyllaries ovate, ca. 10 × 5 mm, leaflike, apex acute and tipped with a 3-6 mm spine; middle phyllaries elliptic, elliptic-lanceolate, or lanceolate, ca. 15 × 3-6 mm, apex with a rigid pectinately divided spine; inner phyllaries broadly linear, ca. 20 × 2.5 mm. Sterile florets filiform. Corolla pale yellow. Achene cylindric, ca. 8 mm, conspicuously many ribbed, glabrous, apex with a denticulate rim. Outer pappus elements in 1 row, ca. 1 cm, rigid, scabridulous; inner pappus elements much shorter, ciliate to inconspicuously arachnoid. Fl. and fr. Jun-Jul. 2n = 22.
Mountain slopes; ca. 2300 m. Xinjiang (Tian Shan) [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; N Africa, SW Asia, Europe].
Centaurea benedicta is native to N Africa, C and SW Asia, and Europe but has become naturalized in other areas.
This species is cultivated in Chinese gardens. The whole plant is used medicinally.